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Brkeley 


THE  NEW 


ROADMASTER'S    ASSISTANT 


A  MANUAL  OF  REFERENCE  FOR  THOSE  HAVING  TO  DO  WITH 
THE  PERMANENT  WAY  OF  AMERICAN  RAILROADS 


GEORGE  HEBARD  PAINE 


UNIVERSITY 


This  volume  is  the  successor  to  the  Roadmaster's  Assistant  written  by 


William  5.  Huntington  in   1871  and  revised  by 


Charles  Latimer  in  1877 


PUBLISHED   BY 

THE  RAILROAD  GAZETTE,  32  PARK  PLACE    NEW  YORK 
l898 


Copyright,  1898, 

BY 
THE  RAILROAD   GAZETTE. 


To  my  Father,  CHARLES  PAINE,  as  a  slight  evidence 
of  my  admiration,  gratitude  and  affection,  this  book  is 
dedicated. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER.  PAGE. 

1.  GENERAL  REMARKS,     ........  1 

2.  ORGANIZATION  AND  METHODS  OF  WORK,     .  9 

3.  FENCES,    HIGHWAY   CROSSINGS    AND    PLAT- 

FORMS,          19 

4.  MISCELLANEOUS     FIXTURES    AND    STATION 

GROUNDS,       31 

5.  WATER  SUPPLY, 47 

6.  DRAINAGE, 55 

7.  CULVERTS,  TRESTLES  AND  BRIDGE  FLOORS,  67 

8.  BALLAST, 75 

9.  CROSS  TIES, 95 

10.  RAILS  AND  F-ASTENINGS,        107 

11.  TRACK  WORK,    .     .     .     . 127 

12.  TOOLS, 147 

13.  FROGS,  SWITCHES  AND  SWITCH  STANDS,      .  165 

14.  EMERGENCIES  AND  TRAIN   SIGNALS,   .     .     .  193 

15.  FIXED  SIGNALS, 201 

16.  RULES  AND  TABLES, 229 

INDEX,                         255 


PREFACE. 


Iii  his  preface  to  the  u  Road-Master's  Assistant  and 
Section-Master's  Guide,"  Mr.  William  S.  Huntington 
explained  that  his  wish  was  to  make  a  "  practical  book 
for  practical  men."  How  well  he  succeeded  is  shown 
by  the  great  demand  for  it  from  men  of  all  ranks  in 
railroad  service,  while  to  those  just  entering  the  main- 
tenance of  way  department  it  has  been  a  guide  and 
counsellor. 

To  the  labor  begun  in  1871  by  Mr.  Huntington,  the 
revision  made  by  Mr.  Charles  Latimer  in  1877  brought 
the  scope  of  the  work  down  to  his  period  ;  nor  did  he, 
in  the  fullness  of  his  knowledge  and  experience,  depart 
from  the  rule  that  Mr.  Huntington  had  adopted. 

It  has  been  a  pleasant  but  difficult  task  to  follow  in 
the  footsteps  of  these  men  ;  to  be  clear,  concise  and 
comprehensive  but  without  dogmatism,  or  a  too  great 
insistence  on  his  own  opinion  ;  to  be  practically  useful 
and  theoretically  correct  has  been  the  object  of  the 
present  author. 

Nearly  all  maintenance  of  way  knowledge  is  basecl 
upon  the  experience  of  predecessors  ;  few  can  truth- 
fully say,  "  I  was  the  father  of  that  idea,"  since  the 
present  practice  is  the  outcome,  of  more  than  a  half- 


viii  PREFACE. 

century  of  labor  and  tkought.  But  of  all  this  travail 
a  large  proportion  has  been  mistaken,  the  proof  of 
which  lies  before  us  in  the  scrap-heap. 

Nevertheless,  our  mistakes  of  to-day  beget  the  suc- 
cesses of  to-morrow :  therefore  it  behooves  us  of  the 
present  to  regard  our  views  with  diffidence,  in  the  cer- 
tain assurance  that  many  notions  which  we  consider 
sound  will  on  trial  prove  wrong,  and  much  which  we 
now  condemn  is  to  be  the  practice  of  the  future. 

The  drawings  in  this  book  are  original  and  their 
correctness  and  simplicity  are  largely  due  to  Mr. 
Arthur  Tartas.  The  author  is  indebted  to  Mr.  James 
D.  Hawks,  President  of  the  Detroit  &  Mackinac  Kail- 
way  Company,  and  to  Mr.  Augustus  Torrey,  Chief 
Engineer  of  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad  Company, 
for  advice  and  criticism. 

G.  II.  P. 

MARCH,  1898. 


CHAPTER  I. 
GENERAL  REMARKS. 

An  experience  of  something  like  sixty  years  construe- 
in  railroad  construction  has  demonstrated  the  tion< 
fact  that  the  preparation  of  a  piece  of  track 
for  the  passage  of  trains  can  be  done  best,  cheap- 
est and  most  quickly  by  well-organized  gangs 
of  men,  each  of  them  under  the  command  of 
one  who  is  experienced  in  his  particular  branch 
of  the  work.  For  this  reason,  a  modern  rail- 
road is  usually  built  and  perhaps  ballasted  by 
contractors  and  is  turned  over  to  the  mainten- 
ance-of- way  department  with  the  tracks  and 
switches  laid. 

The  first  duties  which  fall  upon  a  road-mas-  Finishing 
ter,  after  receiving  charge  of  a  newly  built  UP- 
line,  are  the  not  very  agreeable  ones  of  finish- 
ing up.  Contractors  are  quite  likely  to  leave 
their  work  in  an  unfinished  condition,  and  the 
permanent  officers  of  a  railroad  then  find  that 
the  cuts  and  banks  are  not  sufficiently  sloped ; 
that  the  track  needs  re-lining  and  re-surfacing ; 
the  ties  re-spacing ;  and  that  the  ditches,  if  any 
have  ever  been  dug,  are  nearly,  if  not  quite, 
filled  up. 

After  having  seen  that  the  track  is  in  a  safe  Opening 
condition  and  that  loose  rocks  and  rotten  trees  8treams- 
are  not  likely  to  fall  upon  it,  the  roadmaster 
should  at  once  make  an  inspection  of  all  water- 
ways.    The  beds  of  the  streams    should    be 
cleared  of  all  loose  material,  both  above  and 
below,  as  well  as  underneath  the  openings; 


THE  NEW  Ro  ADM  ASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Cleaning 
culverts. 


Cleaning 
ditches. 


Progs  and 
switches. 


Trees  near 
track. 


this  should  be  particularly  looked  after  in  the 
case  of  wooden  structures  where  the  danger 
of  fire  is  added  to  the  liability  of  washouts. 

Culverts  are  frequently  built  too  small  to 
accommodate  even  ordinary  high  water ;  there- 
fore if  they  are  permitted  to  remain  choked 
with  weeds  and  driftwood  they  become  doubly 
dangerous. 

Because  good  track  cannot  exist  with  bad 
drainage,  prompt  attention  should  be  paid  to 
the  condition  of  the  ditches,  which  should  be 
opened  as  soon  as  possible  and  in  such  a  way 
as  to  permit  of  the  quickest  passage  of  the 
water  from  the  ballast  to  some  regular  water 
course. 

Frogs  and  switches  should  be  rigidly  in- 
spected and,  although  mistakes  in  their  design 
or  construction  cannot  often  be  remedied  after 
they  are  once  in  place,  it  should  be  ascertained 
that  guard  rails  are  properly  located  and 
braced;  that  the  throw  of  the  switches  is  cor- 
rect ;  that  their  points  are  sufficiently  protected 
by  the  curve  in  the  main  rail  and  that  the  frog 
points  are  in  line  with  the  main  track. 

Trees  are  often  left  standing  on  or  near  the 
right-of-way  in  such  a  position,  if  they  should 
be  blown  over,  as  to  endanger  passing  trains. 
These  must  be  felled  in  short  order,  although 
their  removal  may  be  put  off  to  some  less  busy 
time.  In  some  states  railroads  are  permitted 
to  condemn  trees  outside  the  right-of-way  (if  a 
price  cannot  be  agreed  upon  with  the  owner), 
and  it  is  important  for  trackmen  to  knoAV  of  this 
wherever  the  right  exists.  A  simple  and  suffi- 
ciently accurate  way  of  determining  whether  or 
not  a  tree  is  at  a  safe  distance  from  the  track,  if 
the  base  of  the  tree  is  neither  much  above  or 
much  below  the  level  of  the  track,  is  as  follows  : 
Let  one  man  hold  a  track-gage  vertically, 
resting  it  on  top  of  the  rail  nearest  the  tree. 


GENERAL  REMARKS.     3 

Let  another  man  place  his  eye  close  to  the 
opposite  rail  and  sight  over  the  upper  end  of 
the  track-gage.  If  the  sight  line  clears  the 
top  of  the  tree,  the  tree  is  at  a  safe  distance  — 
otherwise,  not. 

Generally   speaking,    the    only    vegetation  Encourag- 
which  should  be  permitted  on  the  right-of-way  in««rass- 
of  a  railroad  is  grass  and  this  should  be  en- 
couraged in  every  way,  for  it  is  of  the  greatest 
use  in  preventing  sliding  in  cuts  and  on  other 
slopes  and  much  improves  the  appearance  of 
a  line  as  seen  from  a  passing  train. 

Section-foremen  should  be  authorized  to  em-  Extra  men. 
ploy  a  limited  number  of  men  to  assist  them 
in  times  of  threatened  danger  from  floods, 
landslides,  etc.  If  the  privilege  is  abused  it 
may  easily  be  taken  away  or  the  foreman  re- 
placed by  a  more  judicious  one  ;  since  it  is 
better  to  spend  a  few  dollars  at  the  right  time 
than  that  the  whole  traffic  of  a  railroad  should 
be  stopped  indefinitely  for  want  of  a  little 
extra  help. 

Snow  storms,  especially,  should  be  promptly  snow 
dealt  with,  and  as  it  devolves  upon  the  main-  8torms- 
tenaiice-of-way  department  to  keep  the  switches 
and  platforms  clean,  roadmasters  and  section- 
foremen  should  be  prepared  at  all  times  to 
meet  any  storms  with  a  sufficient  force  to  per- 
form their  work  in  a  satisfactory  manner. 

The  track  should  be  completely  walked  over  Track 
by  the  roadmaster  at  least  three  times,  and 
better  still  four  times,  a  year,  in  the  company 
of  each  section-foreman,  for  the  purpose  of 
making  a  general  comparison  of  progress  and 
planning  the  work  for  the  future.  These  walks 
should  take  place  at  the  opening  of  spring, 
early  in  July,  the  middle  of  September  and  at 
the  beginning  of*  winter.  Between  times, 
each  section  should  be  attended  to  as  occasion 
requires,  while  the  fact  should  be  borne  in  mind 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

that  the  best  way  to  inspect  a  piece  of  track 
is  to  do  it  on  foot. 

Although  the  accounts  and  reports  which 
are  required  of  roadmasters  and  section-fore- 
men are  not  difficult,  they  are  apt  to  cause 
considerable  trouble  to  the  men  and  annoyance 
at  the  department  head-quarters.  The  only 
easy  way  is  to  have  them  ready  when  they  are 
due  and  to  have  them  right,  since  delaying 
the  performance  of  a  duty  makes  it  harder  to 
fulfill  and  increases  the  likelihood  of  error. 
The  section  time-books  should  be  made  up 
every  night  after  the  quitting  time,  and,  while 
the  matter  is  still  fresh  in  the  mind,  all  of  the 
charges  to  different  kinds  of  work  should  be 
made.  The  tie,  rail  and  material  reports  of 
the  roadmaster  should  be  kept  in  a  form 
which  will  enable  him  to  fill  them  up  and 
send  them  in  at  the  end  of  the  month,  without 
having  to  spend  several  clays  in  the  office  at  a 
time  when  he  should  be  out  on  the  road  among 
his  men. 

The  use  of  the  section  hand-cars  by  a  road- 
master  should  be  resorted  to  only  on  rare 
occasions  and  under  the  most  urgent  necessity. 
Although  it  is,  for  the  roadmaster,  an  ex- 
tremely pleasant  and  convenient  method  of 
getting  from  place  to  place,  it  is  expensive  for 
the  railroad  company,  and,  what  is  worse, 
leads  to  lax  habits  on  the  part  of  the  men.  For 
ordinary  touring  a  velocipede  should  be  used. 

The  hand-car  should  never  be  used  except 
in  charge  of  the  foreman  himself,  or  someone 
in  whom  he  has  confidence,  and  when  on  the 
track  should  be  the  object  of  care  and  watch- 
fulness. Where  the  trains  are  frequent,  on  a 
crooked  road,  during  a  fog,  or  at  night,  the 
car  should  be  protected  t>y  a  flag,  and  the 
fact  that  a  hand-car  has  been  struck  by  an 
engine  should  be  regarded  as  presumption  of 


men. 


GENERAL  REMARKS.     5 

criminal  carelessness  on  the  part  of  the  fore- 
man. The  cars  should  not  be  "taken  off"  on 
highway  crossings  in  such  a  way  as  to  block 
them,  but  frequent  places,  formed  of  old  rail, 
ties  or  earth,  should  be  provided  for  the 
purpose. 

It  should  never  be  taken  from  the  house  with-  Hand-car 
out  the  following  equipment:   two  red  flags,  equip, 
one  green  flag,  six  torpedoes,  a  well-sharpened  ™ 
mattock,  an  oil  can,  a  monkey  wrench,  a  spike 
maul,  a  track  chisel  and  a  claw  bar.     Other 
tools  will  be  found  convenient,  but  with  those 
named,  the  track  can  be  protected  and  nearly 
any  kind  of  small  repairs  can  be  made. 

Let  it  be  always  remembered  that  men  can-  comfort  of 
not  work  without  food.  When  they  are  kept 
out  late  at  night  in  the  cold  or  wet  it  puts  them 
in  good  humor  and  gives  them  new  strength, 
to  supply  them  with  sandwiches  or  bread  and 
butter  and  hot  coffee.  For  this  purpose  the 
work  train  caboose,  as  well  as  the  wrecking 
car,  should  be  provided  with  boilers  for  making 
coffee.  The  master  who  sees  to  the  comfort  of 
his  men  will,  other  things  being  equal,  have 
more  influence  over  them  and  get  more  out 
of  them  than  the  one  who  treats  them  with 
indifference. 

Reliable  men  should  never  be  dismissed  Discipline. 
except  for  cause  or  to  comply  with  a  general 
order  for  reduction.  The  frequent  discharge 
of  employes  for  trivial  reasons  tends  to  breed 
dissatisfaction  and  uncertainty  in  the  minds  of 
the  men  who  should  be  made  to  feel  confident 
of  keeping  their  positions  during  good  behav- 
ior. On  the  other  hand,  a  man  who  is  dis- 
charged for  a  good  and  just  cause  should  not 
be  re-instated.  Admonition  should  be  tried,  if 
it  is  possible,  with  men  whose  work  is  at  all 
satisfactory,  before  the  final  act  of  discharge ; 
but,  whatever  course  is  followed,  it  should  be 


6  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

made  clear  to  everyone  that  some  notice  will 
be  taken  of  any  careless  or  wanton  breaking  of 
the  rules. 

Knowledge  It  is  of  the  first  importance  that  a  road- 
of  details.  master  should  know  his  road  and  his  men,  and 
it  is  more  important  that  he  should  know  the 
bad  places  and  unworthy  men  than  to  know 
the  good  ones.  Good  things  do  not  require 
so  much  watching  as  bad  ones. 

Emergency       The  1'oadmaster  should  also  know  the  exact 
material,     location  of  all  material  under  his  charge  ;   and 

O        / 

this  knowledge  is  absolutely  necessary  at  times 
when  it  is  important  that  a  large  amount  of 
material  of  a  certain  kind  shall  be  delivered  at 
a  certain  point  at  the  earliest  possible  moment. 
Spare  material,  for  the  same  reason,  should  be 
stored  at  convenient  points  and  so  placed  as  to 
permit  of  its  being  loaded  easily  and  rapidly 
on  short  notice.  If  the  roadmaster  is  prudent, 
he  will  always  have  some  timber,  rails,  a  few 
switches  and  some  frogs  on  hand  for  sudden 
emergencies,  no  matter  how  poor  the  railroad 
company  may  be. 

intoxicants       The  use  of  intoxicants  should  be  absolutely 
forbidden,    prohibited  during  working  hours.     Men  known 
to  frequent  saloons  do  not  belong  on  a  railroad, 
and  for  many  reasons  should  not  be  employed 
there.     The   example   they  set  is  bad,  and  it 
cannot  be  foretold  when  someone  in  the  hum- 
blest position  may  be  required  to  perform  work 
of  immense  importance,  as  for  instance  flagging 
a  train  which  is  in  danger.     At  such  a  time  a 
man  must  be  in  the  full  possession  of  his  facul- 
ties, and  if  he  drinks,  he  cannot  be  relied  upon. 
competi=          A  spirit  of  competition  and  emulation  once 
tion.  aroused  among  the  men  will  prove  a  valuable 

help,  and  for  this  purpose  tours  of  inspection, 
at  stated  intervals,  over  all  the  sections  and 
shared  in  by  all  the  foremen,  should  be  made. 
They  should  be  asked  to  criticise  each  other's 


GENERAL  REMARKS.     7 

work  freely,  and  discussions  as  to  the  best  way 
of  accomplishing  various  things  should  be 
encouraged.  This  interchange  of  ideas  will 
not  only  add  greatly  to  the  general  stock  of 
information  but  it  will  let  each  man  see  how 
far  his  work  is  advanced  in  comparison  with 
that  of  the  others. 

At  all  times  there  should  be  held  in  line  for  Men  for 
promotion  a  number  of  bright,  active  young  Promotl 
men  who  may  be  called  upon  to  act  as  substi- 
tutes or  to  take  the  places  of  men  whom  it  is 
desired  to  discharge.  They  may  be  familiarized 
with  the  use  of  authority  by  employing  them 
as  extra  foremen  during  the  summer,  as  track- 
walkers and  upon  detached  service  during  the 
winter.  The  ability  to  enforce  an  order  or 
inaugurate  a  reform  will  frequently  depend 
upon  this  particular,  since  men  are  often  re- 
tained in  their  positions  for  the  sole  reason 
that  there  are  none  to  supplant  them  who  will 
certainly  do  better.  It  must  also  be  remem- 
bered that  frequent  small  promotions  have  a 
better  effect  than  a  single  considerable  one; 
therefore  in  making  a  change  it  is  well  to  see 
if  two  or  three  cannot  be  benefited  instead  of 
simply  the  one  who  is  directly  interested. 

A.  section-foreman's  place  is  with  his  men,  Attention 
whom  he  should  not  leave  if  it  can  be  avoided,  to  business. 
The  roadmaster's  place  is  everywhere.  He 
should  ride  over  his  division  continually;  011 
the  rear  end  and  on  the  locomotives  of  passen- 
ger trains,  on  way  freights  and  on  a  velocipede 
hand-car,  while  occasional  trips  should  be  made 
at  night  to  see  that  the  switch  lamps  are  burn- 
ing properly  and  that  the  track- walkers  are 
attending  to  their  duties.  No  man  should 
undertake  the  duties  of  a  roadinaster  who  will 
not  cheerfully  give  himself  up  to  the  require- 
ments of  the  work. ,  He  should  be  available  at 
any  hour  of  the  day  or  night,  and  for  this  rea- 


8  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

Attention  son  his  whereabouts*should  always  be  known 
to  business.  either  ^  the  telegraph  office  or  at  his  home, 
and  any  serious  damage  to  the  main  track 
should  have  his  immediate  personal  attention. 
In  short,  his  habits,  life  and  language  should 
be  an  example  to  his  men  in  order  that  he  may 
consistently  correct  any  failures  on  their  part. 
Inasmuch  as  he  occupies  one  of  the  most 
responsible  and  onerous  positions  on  the  road, 
he  should  attempt  to  perform  his  duties  with 
credit  to  himself  or  else  earn  his  living  in  some 
other  way. 


CHAPTER  II. 
ORGANIZATION  AND  METHODS  OF  WORK. 

The  number  of  men  necessary  to  properly  Number  of 
maintain  a  railroad  is  determined  by  such  vary-  men- 
ing  conditions  that  it  is  impossible  to  lay  down 
any  general  rule  which  is  applicable  to  every 
case.  The  amount  and  quality  of  the  ballast, 
the  condition  and  weight  of  the  rail,  the  charac- 
ter and  amount  of  the  traffic,  the  climate ;  all 
these  tend  to  affect  the  ease  with  which  a  piece 
of  track  may  be  kept  up.  On  a  well-ballasted, 
double-track  railroad,  equipped  with  good  ties 
and  heavy  steel  rails,  having  sections  five  miles 
long,  five  men  and  a  foreman  (exclusive  of 
watchmen  and  track- walkers)  for  eight  months 
beginning  with  April  1st,  and  three  men  and  a 
foreman  for  the  other  four  months  of  the  year 
should  be  able  to  keep  the  road  bed  and  track 
in  first-class  shape.  This  estimate  is  intended 
to  cover  only  the  routine  work  of  a  section 
with  perhaps  a  little  grading  for  a  new  side- 
track occasionally  added.  As  an  example  of 
what  is  believed  to  be  a  remarkable  economy 
in  maintenance,  it  is  stated  that  the  Michigan 
Central  Railroad  employs  but  three  men  and  a 
foreman  in  summer  and  two  men  and  a  fore- 
man in  winter  on  sections  five  miles  long. 
This  obtains  on  both  single  and  double  track 
since  it  is  found  that  the  increased  train  move- 
ment on  single  track  fully  compensates  for  the 
greater  length  of  double- track  sections.  The 
Detroit  &  Mackinac  Railway  employs  two 
men  and  a  foreman  in  summer  and  one  man 


10  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

and  a  foreman  in  Writer  on  eight  to  ten-mile 
sections  of  single-track  road.  Most  of  the 
tamping  is  shovel-tamping  in  sand  and  the  traf- 
fic of  course  is  light. 

Length  of  The  sections,  except  those  embracing  large 
sections,  yards,  should  be  as  nearly  as  possible  of  equal 
length  in  order  that  a  comparison  may  be  made 
of  the  work  performed  by  the  different  gangs. 
On  main  lines,  sections  should  not  exceed  live 
miles  in  length,  while  on  branch  lines  they  may 
be  seven  or  eight  miles  long,  but  seldom  more 
because  of  the  loss  of  time  in  ffoinsr  over  them. 

O  £5 

Extra  help.  As  nearly  as  possible  each  foreman  should 
perform  all  of  the  work  of  ordinary  repairs  on 
his  own  section.  The  practice  of  transferring 
one  gang  to  help  in  the  regular  work  on  another 
section  is  not  commonly  a  good  one,  since  each 
foreman  should  be  held  responsible  for,  and 
capable  of  performing,  his  own  duties,  to  which 
end  he  should  be  encouraged  in  every  "N'tiy. 
If  the  amount  of  work  to  be  done  is  too  great 
for  the  regular  force,  its  number  should  be 
increased,  but  any  help  or  interference  from 
foreign  gangs  is  apt  to  arouse  the  resentment 
of  an  ambitious  man  or  to  encourage  in  a 
lazy  man  a  certain  shiftless  feeling  of  satis- 
faction. 

Floating  During  the  working  months,  a  floating  gang 
in  charge  of  some  bright  young  man,  who  is 
on  the  list  for  promotion  to  a  regular  section, 
will  be  found  of  great  use  in  such  matters  as 
cutting  new  ditches,  sloping  rough  banks, 
building  new  fences,  etc.,  etc.  These  gangs 
are  easily  moved  from  place  to  place,  may 
have  their  own  hand-cars  and  tools,  and  for 
such  work  as  they  can  do  are  useful  and 
far  more  economical  than  a  work  train.  If 
necessary  (and  it  is  frequently  advisable)  t he- 
foreman  of  the  section  where  these  men  hap- 
pen to  be  at  work,  may  be  permitted  to 


ORGANIZATION  AND  METHODS  o?  WORK.     11 

guarantee  their  board  and  deduct  it  from  their 
wages  on  pay-day. 

The  work  train,  although  absolutely  necessary  work 
for  some  purposes,  is  in  many  cases  an  expensive  trains- 
luxury.  Since  it  has  no  rights  beyond  those 
given  by  special  orders,  it  must  keep  out  of  the 
way  of  all  regular  trains  and,  if  the  road  be  a 
busy  one,  it  is  apt  to  become  a  loafing  place  for 
the  men,  because  it  must  of  necessity  spend  a 
large  amount  of  time  in  running  from  one 
point  to  another  or  in  waiting  for  orders  at 
some  place  where  there  is  no  work  to  be  done. 
To  secure  good  results  the  roadmaster  should 
watch  its  movements  closely  and  work  sufficient 
to  keep  the  hands  employed  should  be  laid  out 
some  time  in  advance  and  distributed  over  the 
division  in  such  a  way  as  to  provide  constant 
employment  for  the  men. 

The  foreman  of  the  work  train  should  be 
bright,  active  and  pushing,  intent  upon  keep- 
ing his  train  in  motion,  always  on  the  lookout 
for  something  to  occupy  his  men  and  well 
acquainted  with  all  the  details  of  track  work. 
The  train  should  be  provided  with  tools  of  all 
kinds  in  order  that,  no  matter  what  service  the 
men  may  be  called  upon  to  perform,  they  will 
have  something  to  do  it  with.  On  long  divi- 
sions and  in  some  other  cases  the  men  must 
sleep  and  eat  on  the  train.  When  this  is  so,  it 
is  a  simple  matter  to  have  a  man  run  the  com- 
missariat, charging  an  agreed  price  ibr  each 
man  per  day.  The  railroad  company  can  then 
collect  his  pay  from  the  wages  of  the  men  and 
can  also  make  the  contract  an  object  to  the 
boarding  boss  by  shipping  his  materials  to  him 
free  and  by  furnishing  the  sleeping,  dining  and 
cooking  cars. 

Valuable  help  may  be  got  out  of  the  way  Useofway- 
freights,  if  properly  handled,  which  is  usually  frei«hts- 
required  of  the  work  train.     The  distribution 


12  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

of  cross  ties,  small"  amounts  of  rail,  ballast, 
building  stone  and  other  articles  which  need 
not  delay  the  train  long,  may  with  a  little  fore- 
sight be  thus  accomplished  at  comparatively 
slight  cost.  Such  work  as  heavy  ballasting  or 
ditching  in  long  cuts  requires  an  extra  train, 
but  by  the  use  of  an  unloading  plow,  the 
presence  of  laborers  on  the  train  while  the 
material  is  being  handled  and  dumped  may 
usually  be  dispensed  with. 

combining  A  common  method  of  concentrating  labor 
gangs.  is  the  massing  together  of  men  from  a  number 
of  sections  in  order  that  a  large  amount  of 
work  may  be  accomplished  in  a  short  time. 
This  plan  is  expensive  but  is  applicable  upon 
poor  roads  where  the  permission  to  employ 
extra  men  is  not  often  granted. 

Routine  The  routine  work  upon  a  railroad  should  be 

work.  performed  in  a  regular  manner  and  in  pursu- 
ance of  well-considered  plans.  Certain  days,  as 
well  as  certain  seasons,  should  be  set  apart  for 
certain  kinds  of  work.  On  Monday  morning 
the  section  should  be  carefully  inspected  by 
the  foreman  for  the  purpose  of  remedying  any 
defects  which  shall  have  developed  during 
Sunday,  and  as  much  as  is  necessary  of  Satur- 
day afternoon  should  be  devoted  to  cleaning 
up.  At  this  time  the  scrap,  which  in  the 
meantime  should  have  been  thrown  into  small 
piles  by  the  track- walker,  must  be  collected  and 
taken  to  the  tool-house,  the  wrought  and  cast 
iron  being  thrown  into  separate  bins.  Unsightly 
objects  should  be  disposed  of  and  the  line  should 
be  left  in  a  neat  and  orderly  condition. 
Rainy  There  is  always  some  work  to  be  done 

days.  around  a  section-house  in  the  way  of  fitting 
handles,  sharpening  tools,  slight  repairs  to  the 
hand-car  or  house  itself,  which  may  be  per- 
formed on  rainy  clays  when  the  men  are  wait- 
ing for  it  to  clear  up. 


ORGANIZATION  AND  METHODS  OP  WORK.     IB 

The  watching  of  track  is  a  most  important  watch- 
feature  of  maintenance-of-way  work,  and  is  men> 
more  likely  to  be  neglected  from  a  false  sense 
of  economy  than  it  is  to  be  overdone.  In  a 
properly  organized  department  the  slope  watch- 
men will  be  furnished  with  the  ordinary  tools 
for  tamping,  renewing  ties,  ditching,  etc.,  and 
will  be  expected  to  use  them  pretty  steadily 
except  in  bad  weather,  when  their  attention 
should  be  directed  to  patrolling  and  looking 
for  obstructions. 

Track- walkers,   however,  should  not  be  re-  Track- 
quired  to  make  any  but  the  most  incidental  walkers- 
repairs,  such  as  knocking  in  a  spike,  tightening 
bolls,  or  some  little  thing  which  will  not  dis- 
tract their  attention  or  detain  them  lon<z*  from 

O 

their  inspection.  They  should  be  required  to 
look  out  for  burning  fences  or  fires  which 
threaten,  or  appear  likely  to  threaten,  any 
property  on  or  near  the  right-of-way.  They 
should  be  particularly  on  the  look  out  for 
broken  rails,  switches,  frogs,  etc.  The  position 
of  track-walker  is  one  of  great  responsibility 
and  should  be  filled  by  a  man  of  judgment, 
sobriety  and  experience  in  railroad  work ;  one 
who  is  familiar  with  the  book  of  rules,  well 
acquainted  with  the  time  card,  and  able  to 
immediately  recognize  a  dangerous  condition 
of  the  track  or  road  bed.  The  track- walker  is 
in  fact  the  eye  of  the  foreman.  Many  rail- 
roads do  not  employ  track- walkers,  and  when 
this  is  so  the  section-foreman  must  be  re- 
quired to  patrol  his  track  every  morning  on  a 
hand-car. 

It  is  a  mooted  point  as  to  whether  or  not  Foremen 
foremen    should    themselves   work  with  their  *j!slabo' 
gangs,  and  a  good  deal  is  to  be  said  on  both 
sides  of  the  question.     In  small  gangs  of  three 
or  four  it  is  certain  that  the  foreman  should  be 
able  to  perform  a  considerable  amount  of  actual 


14  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

labor  in  addition  tt>  directing  his  men,  but 
where  there  are  eight  or  ten  men  to  keep  busy 
it  is  doubtful  if  anything  is  gained  by  distract- 
ing his  attention  from  their  movements. 

Division  of       As  in  the  division  of  labor  between  the  sec- 

labor.  tions,  it  is  advisable  to  divide  the  labor  of  a 
gang  into  several  equal  parts.  Some  men  will 
always  shirk  unless  there  is  a  certain  means  of 
comparing  their  work  with  that  of  others  who 
are  not  lazy. 

Residence.  The  residence  of  foremen  will  be  largely  de- 
termined by  circumstances,  but  if  possible 
they  should  make  their  homes  at  stations  where 
there  are  night  telegraph  offices.  Road- 
masters  should  live  at  some  place  from  which 
they  can  easily  reach  all  points  lying  within 
their  jurisdiction. 

winter  The  railroad  year,  in  most  sections  of  this 

country,  may  be  divided  into  two  parts,  the 
first  of  which  extends  from  early  in  December 
until  late  in  March.  During  this  time  as  little 
as  possible  actual  track  work  should  be  under- 
taken during  the  winter  season.  A  little 
shimming,  spiking  and  perhaps  the  renewal  of 
switches  and  frogs  where  the  ties  are  in  good 
surface  and  do  not  require  shifting,  is  about  all 
that  should  be  attempted  and  even  these  only 
for  the  purpose  of  keeping  the  track  absolutely 
safe  for  the  passage  of  trains.  Many  other 
useful  things  can  be  done,  at  odd  times  when 
the  weather  permits,  such  as  ditching,  repairing 
road  crossings,  fences  and  platforms,  sloping 
banks,  taking  down  loose  rock,  etc.,  which  will 
greatly  facilitate  the  work  on  the  section. 
While  cold  weather  lasts  labor  is  cheap  and 
plenty  and  advantage  may  be  taken  of  this 
fact  during  moderate  periods.  The  very  last 
of  the  winter  season  is  the  best  time  to  "  renew 
rail.7'  Since  the  ties  must  often  be  re-spaced  in 
order  that  the  rail  may  be  properly  supported 


ORGANIZATION  AND  METHODS  OP  WORK.     15 

at  the  joints,  the  most  urgent  part  of  this 
re-spacing  must  be  done  as  soon  as  the  frost  is 
out  of  the  ballast  and  may  be  finished  when 
the  new  ties  are  put  in. 

The  period  from  April  to  December  should  summer 
be  devoted  to  the  real  work  of  the  section.  work* 
Lining  and  surfacing,  although  of  great  im- 
portance, stand  second  to  ditching,  which 
should  begin  as  soon  as  the  frost  is  out  of  the 
ground.  If  this  fact  were  better  understood 
much  valuable  time  would  be  saved,  for  it  is 
probable  that  any  lining  or  surfacing  of  track 
before  the  ballast  is  thoroughly  drained  must 
be  done  over  again  in  a  very  short  time,  and 
when  trackmen  are  required  or  permitted  to 
"putter,"  that  is,  rush  from  one  point  to  an- 
other, picking  up  joints  which  are  a  little  low, 
they  will  not  have  much  time  to  do  those  things 
which  most  tend  to  preserve  their  track  in 
good  condition.  There  are  only  a  few  secrets 
not  generally  known  about  track  work,  and 
one  of  them  is  not  to  allow  the  section  gang  to 
"putter." 

After  the  ditching  has  been  completed  and  Tis 
the  track  made  fairly  smooth,  the  work  of  renewins 
putting  in  ties  should  begin  in  earnest.  For 
many  reasons  this  part  of  the  work  should  be 
pushed  to  as  early  a  finish  as  possible,  for,  if  it 
is  carried  on  in  a  desultory  manner,  cold 
weather  frequently  arrives  to  find  the  work 
incompleted.  No  paying  work  can  be  done 
on  track  until  the  ties  are  in,  and  no  good 
track  can  be  secured  unless  ties  are  put  in 
early  in  the  season.  The  desirability  of  having 
all  ties  for  the  season's  renewals  on  hand  and 
distributed  before  the  beginning  of  spring  is 
therefore  apparent. 

Weeds,    shrubs    and  underbrush  should  be  Cutting 
exterminated,  and  to  this  end  should  be  cut  at  y 
some  specified  time,  which  time  varies  in  dif- 


16 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Cutting 
weeds. 


Organized 
effort. 


Thorough 
work. 


ferent  parts  of  the  United  States.  The  object 
is  of  course  to  kill  the  weeds  while  they  are 
small  and  before  they  ripen.  In  many  of 
the  states  laws  have  been  passed  compelling 
the  owners  of  land  to  cut  the  Canada  thistles  be- 
fore a  certain  time  in  the  summer  under  a  pen- 
alty for  neglect.  The  terms  of  this  law,  as  it 
relates  to  their  locality,  should  be  known  to 
every  roadmaster  and  section-foreman.  From 
this  time  on  the  force  must  be  employed  in  the 
general  work  of  the  section,  such  as  lining 
and  surfacing,  deepening  water  courses,  laying 
drains,  sodding  banks  and  ballasting.  About 
the  middle  of  September  a  second  cutting  of 
the  weeds  will  be  found  necessary,  and  this 
should  be  followed  by  a  careful  alinement 
and  surfacing  of  the  track  and  a  general 
preparation  of  the  road  for  the  severities  of 
winter. 

Too  much  emphasis  cannot  be  placed  upon 
the  necessity  for  organized  effort  in  the  imiin- 
tenance-of-way  department.  There  is  a 
proper  season  for  each  different  class  of  work 
and  a  regard  for  the  old  proverb  which  says 
"a  place  for  everything  and  everything  in  its 
place  "  will  secure  as  good  results  on  a  railroad 
as  elsewhere. 

It  should  be  unnecessary  to  insist  on  so 
plain  a  fact  as  the  importance  of  thorough 
work,  but  there  is  a  too  common  idea  that  a 
piece  of  track  which  looks  as  if  it  were  good 
is  good  "to  stay."  Hurried  tamping  may 
make  track  appear  well  when  it  is  first  put  up, 
but  a  few  trains  passing  over  it  cause  it  to  be- 
come as  bad  as  before,  while  the  men  are  kept 
running  from  one  low  joint  to  another,  losing 
time  on  the  way,  doing  the  same  thing  over 
and  over  again,  when  a  little  more  effort  in 
the  first  place  would  have  resulted  in  a  perma- 
nent job. 


ORGANIZATION  AND  METHODS  OF  WORK.     17 

Order  and  neatness  are  of  the  first  import-  Neatness, 
ance,  not  so  much  in  themselves,  as  in  what 
they  indicate.  Although  a  foreman  may  have 
a  dirty  car-house  and  good  track,  it  is  more 
probable  that  ungathered  scrap  and  other  evi- 
dences of  carelessness  will  be  accompanied  by 
loose  bolts  and  badly  tamped  ties. 

Reports  should  be  required  of  all  fires,  with  Locomo- 
a  statement  of  the  numbers  of  the  locomotives  ^*rks 
which  are  believed  to  have  caused  them.     Since 
bad  nettings  are  usually  the  cause,  the  loco- 
motives which  require  repairs  in  that  particu- 
lar will  be  detected. 

One  of  the  most  destructive  agencies  to  a  Hoiiow 
railroad  track  are  locomotive  tires  with  hollow  t!res- 
treads.  On  most  railroads  these  tires  are 
turned  down  before  they  have  been  worn  to  a 
dangerous  depth,  but  occasionally  a  motive 
power  department  is  found  which  does  not  re- 
gard this  fault  so  seriously  as  it  should.  To 
correct  it  the  roadmaster  should  occasionally 
try  the  wheels  of  the  locomotives  by  means  of 
a  pocket  template  and  enter  a  protest  when- 
ever a  wheel  is  found  with  a  hollow  tire 
deep  enough  to  injure  the  frogs  and  switches. 
Journal-bearings  which  are  worn  so  as  to  pro- 
duce excessive  side-motion  should  also  be  re- 
ported whenever  they  can  be  detected. 

There  is  a  well  recognized  tendency  on  the  cause  of 
part  of  trainmen  to  account  for  any  delay  or  dama*e- 
damage  to  a  train  while  it  is  in  their  charge  by 
assigning  it  to  a  cause  beyond  their  control  ; 
occasionally  from  a  disinclination  to  take  the 
trouble  to  find  out  the  real  cause  and  at  other 
times  to  escape  blame.  The  situation  of  the 
track  force  makes  them  particularly  liable  to 
these  charges,  and  for  this  reason  if  for  no 
other  the  roadmaster  should  require,  and  the 
section-foreman  should  furnish,  a  short  but 
exact  account  of  any  unusual  occurrence  to  a 


18  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

train  which  might*  in  any  way  be  charged  to 
track. 

Caution  Any  track  which  is  not  considered  safe  for 

signs.  trains  running  at  full  speed  should  be  pro- 
tected by  caution  signs  or  by  a  slow  order 
posted  on  the  bulletin  board  at  division  head- 
quarters ;  but  since  engine  men  are  known  at 
times  not  to  regard  these  means  as  carefully  as 
they  should,  caution  signs  and  slow  orders 
should  be  resorted  to  as  little  as  possible. 
When  they  are  used  any  neglect  of  them 
should  be  at  once  reported. 


CHAPTER  III. 
FENCES,  HIGHWAY  CROSSINGS  AND  PLATFORMS. 

A    well-fenced    right-of-way,    although    an  Fences 
expensive  thing  to  construct,  is  most  assured-  dcsirable- 
ly  a  desirable  thing  for  a  railroad,  since  the 
amount  paid  for  damaged   stock   is    usually 
large  and  does  not  seem  to  be  a  judicious  out- 
lay on  general   principles.      Good  fences  are 
easily  built  and  will  last  seven  or  eight  years 
without  much  attention  beyond  the  occasional 
straightening  of  a  post,  nailing  on  of  a  board, 
or  tightening  of  a  wire. 

The  greatest  enemy  of  wooden  fences  is  fire,  Fire. 
and  on  this  account  the  ground  around  and 
under  them  should  be  kept  free  from  under- 
growth and  long  grass.  A  simple  means  of 
doing  this  is  to  plow  a  furrowr  close  to  the 
fence  and  on  each  side  of  it  with  the  sod  turned 
away  from  the  fence. 

The  best  timber  for  posts  is  cedar,  since  it  Posts  and 
decays  slowly  and  holds  the  nails  and  staples  stretchers, 
well.  Chestnut  and  white  oak  are  also  good, 
but  decay  more  rapidly.  In  fact  almost 
any  wood  which  will  make  good  crossties  is 
suitable  for  fence  posts  but  whatever  the 
timber  used,  it  should  always  be  stripped  of  its 
bark  before  being  planted.  For  the  stretchers, 
pine  or  hemlock  boards,  1  in.  x  6  in.,  were  until 
a  few  years  ago  almost  universal.  At  the  pres- 
ent time,  however,  steel  wire  has  taken  the 
place  of  lumber.  For  ordinary  right-of-way 
fence,  the  most  suitable  form  is  "woven"  or 


20 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Wire 
fences. 


laced  in  rectangular  or  triangular  shapes,  or 
else  stretchers  of  twisted  ribbon  or  rope,  of 
which  there  are  numerous  kinds  on  the  mar- 
ket, varying  little  in  price.  Several  forms  are 
illustrated  in  figs.  1,  2  and  3,  all  of  which  are 


FIG.  1.— Page  Woven-Wire  Fence. 


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FIG.  2.— Ellwood  Woven- AVire  Fence. 


FENCES,  HIGHWAY  CROSSINGS  AND  PLATFORMS.     21 


/ 


\ 


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J^na- 


FIG.  3.— McMullen  Woven- Wire  Fence. 


of  the  kind  known  as  "  woven  ";  a  kind  which 
seems  to  be  rapidly  increasing  in  use  since  it 
is  said  to  be  able  to  turn  all  kinds  of  stock, 
from  the  largest  to  the  smallest,  without  injury 
to  them  or  to  the  fence. 

The  old-fashioned  barbed  wire  is  illustrated  Farm  gate, 
in  fig.  4,  together  with  a  simple  and  useful 


1 


i 


FIG.  4. — Barbed  Wire  with  Pine  Stretchers  and  Farm  Gate. 


style  of  farm  gate  which  needs  for  its  construc- 
tion nothing  but  a  saw,  hammer,  nails  and 
boards,  while  a  chain  and  padlock  make  the 
very  best  fastening  possible. 

For  station  grounds  and  for  the  right-of- 
way  through  towns,  the  product  called  "  ex- 
panded metal,"  see  fig.  5,  formed  of  a  steel  plate 


22 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

that   has  been  pmfctured  and   spread    apart, 
makes  an  excellent  and  permanent  fence. 


fletal 


FIG.  5.— Expanded-Metal  Fence. 

Steel  or  iron  posts  are  used  where  durable 
wooden  posts  are  expensive,  and  some  forms 
of  them  make  a  handsome  and  substantial 
fence.  Eigs.  6,  7  and  8  show  convenient 


FIG.  6.— The  Anchor  Post. 


and  neat  forms  of  posts.  Fig.  6  is  made  of 
1£  in.  T-iron,  twisted  at  the  ground  line  and 
provided  with  blades  which  are  driven  into 
the  ground  and  serve  to  brace  the  post  in  a 


FENCES,  HIGHWAY  CROSSINGS  AND  PLATFORMS.     23 

direction    at   right  angles  to   the  line  of  the  netai 
fence.    Figs.  7  and  8   are  formed  from  a  thin  posts* 


sheet  of  steel.     Of  the  two  posts  shown  in 
fi<r.  7,  the  one  on  the  left  is  the  ordinary  form, 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


while  the  other  one^s  used  at  corners  or  gates 
and  is  substantially  braced. 

When  boards  are  used  for  stretchers  the 
posts  should  be  placed  8  feet  apart,  but  with 
wire  fence  this  space  may  be  safely  increased 
to  12  feet ;  the  latter  distance,  however,  should 
not  be  exceeded,  and  in  the  best  barbed  wire 
fence,  a  board,  (see  fig.  4)  1  in.  x  6  in.  is  used 
as  the  top  line  and  nailed  on  the  side  of  the 
post  for  the  purpose  of  attracting  the  attention 
of  cattle,  who  might  otherwise  tail  to  notice 
the  wire.  The  end  posts  of  each  break  in  a 
wire  fence,  whether  road-crossing  or  gate, 
should  be  braced  as  shown  in  fio\s.  1,  4  or  8,  to 

O  " 

enable  them  to  withstand  the  pull  of  the  wire. 

Ordinary  repairs  to  fences  may  be  made  by 
the  regular  gang  of  section  men,  but  for  ex- 
tended improvements,  additions,  or  general 
repairs,  it  will  be  found  that  much  cheaper 
and  better  fences  can  be  built  if  a  special  fence 
gang  is  employed.  This  gang  should  have  its 
own  tools  and  hand-car  and  should  consist  of 
from  four  to  six  men  and  a  foreman. 

Open  cattle-guards,  with  the  rails  laid 
directly  upon  the  stringers,  are  no  longer  ad- 
missible. They  are  extremely  dangerous  to 
trains,  as  in  case  of  a  derailment  they  will 
surely  cause  a  wreck.  Neither  are  cattle- 
guards  desirable  with  the  ties  laid  upon 
stringers  and  an  open  space  underneath,  for 
cattle  are  frequently  caught  in  them  and  are 
killed,  sometimes  wrecking  a  train. 

Surface  cattle-guards  are  now  allowed  by 
law  and  some  one  of  the  recognized  forms 
should  be  used.  The  particular  land  decided 
upon  should  not  be  easily  damaged  by  drag- 
ging brake-beams,  etc.,  should  have  inter- 
changeable parts  and  should  be  susceptible  of 
easy  and  quick  repairs.  Several  different 
forms  are  illustrated  in  fi<rs.  9  to  14  inclusive. 


FENCES,  HIGHWAY  CROSSINGS  AND  PLATFORMS.     25 


FIG.  9.— Bush  Cattle-Guard. 


FIG.  10.— Kalaraazoo  Cattle-Guard, 


FIG.  11.— National  Cattle-Guard. 


26 


THE  NEW  Ro  ADM  ASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


FiG.  12.— Standard  Cattle-Guard. 


FIG.  13.— Merrill-Stevens  Cattle-Guard. 


FIG.  14.— Merrill-Stevens  Cattle-Guard. 


Highway 
construe 


Road-crossings,  as  usually  built,  are  most 
conveniently  maintained  under  ordinary  cir- 
cumstances when  formed  of  a  frame  built  of 
4  in.  (or  5  in.,  depending  on  the  height  of  the 
rail)  x  10  in.,  yellow  pine,  (never  white  oak, 
which  warps  badly),  chamfered  on  the  inside 
and  filled  level  with  the  top  with  broken  stone, 
furnace  slag,  or  a  similar  material.  On  the 
outside  of  the  track,  planks  should  be  laid 
parallel  with  and  close  to  the  rails,  and  sloped 


FENCES,  HIGHWAY  CROSSINGS  AND  PLATFORMS.     27 

away  from  the   track  to   meet  the   paving   or  Highway 
dirt  of  the  road. 


Fig.  15  illustrates  this  idea,  crossings. 


FIG.  15. — Open  Highway  Crossing. 

In  cities,  or  at  any  highway  crossing  where 
the  teaming  is  heavy,  a  piece  of  old  rail  placed 
between  the  main  rail  and  the  timber,  in  such 
manner  as  is  illustrated  in  fig.  16,  will  add 


FIG.  16. — Old-Rail  Protection  for  Highway  Crossings. 

greatly  to  the  life  of  the  crossing-plank  by 
protecting  it  from  the  grinding  of  ice  and  dirt 
during  the  passage  of  trains,  while  it  also 
facilitates  the  cleaning  of  the  flange  way. 

In  laying  timber  at  highway  crossings,  plat- 
forms or  at  any  other  place  where  it  is  exposed 
to  the  wet,  it  should  always  be  placed  as  in 
fig.  17 A,  in  which  it  is  seen  that  the  dip  of  the 
grain  tends  to  shed  the  water  and  not  as  in 
17B,  where  it  is  evident  that  water  would  be 
absorbed  and  held  for  a  considerable  time. 


FIG.  17. 


The    drainage    of   highway    crossings    is  of  Highway 
especial  importance  and  should  be  accomplished  crossing 
by  running  small  tile  or   broken  stone   drains 
under   the    ends   of   the   ties,    communicating 


28 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Terra= 

cotta 

flooring. 


Station 
platforms. 


Roads  at 
stations. 


with  the  nearest  waterway.  Great  care  must 
be  exercised  in  maintaining  highway  cross- 
ings, because  an  injury  caused  to  a  horse  or 
vehicle  is  soon  heard  from  in  the  shape  of  a 
demand  for  damages. 

Within  a  few  years,  what  is  to  modern  en- 
gineers at  least,  a  new  material  has  been  de- 
veloped and  apparently  perfected.  It  is  com- 
posed of  clay,  baked  very  hard  and  is  used  in 
the  form  of  tiles,  as  a  substitute  for  asphaltum, 
cement  and  flag-stones.  For  station  platforms 
it  is  the  ideal  material,  since  it  costs  little  if 
any  more  per  square  foot  than  oak  planking, 
is  nearly  indestructible  and  does  not  decay. 
If  carefully  laid  in  the  proper  sizes  at  high- 
way crossings  it  would  furnish  a  permanent 
and  even  surface  at  an  ultimate  cost  much  less 
than  that  of  timber  and  with  great  satisfaction 
to  the  public.  Since  it  can  easily  be  taken  up 
and  relaid  by  trackmen  of  average  intelligence, 
the  repairs  to  track  would  not  be  interfered 
with  or  made  more  expensive  than  they  are 
now  at  such  places. 

Platforms  at  unimportant  stations  are  easily 
constructed  and  prove  quite  satisfactory  when 
built  of  coarse  broken  stone  for  a  foundation, 
dressed  and  surfaced  with  crusher  dust,  clean 
gravel  or  cinders  from  locomotives.  The  last 
is  somewhat  dirty  but  otherwise  is  very  good 
for  the  purpose.  The  foundation  should  be 
well  drained  and  if  the  platform  is  maintained 


with  reasonable  intelligence  it  will 


last 


a  long 


time  at  a  nominal  cost  for  repairs. 

Driving  roads  beside  unloading  tracks  may 
be  easily  constructed  after  the  old-fashioned 
"corduroy"  plan,  by  the  use  of  cross  ties,  the 
end  sills  and  bolsters  of  cars  and  other  ma- 
terial of  a  like  character,  which  through  par- 
tial decay  or  for  some  other  reason  is  no 
longer  suited  for  its  original  purpose.  A 


FENCES,  HIGHWAY  CROSSINGS  AND  PLATFORMS.     2 

cobble  stone  pavement  laid  on  six  inches  of  Roads  at 
sand,  properly  drained,  is  still  better  and  is  8tations- 
one  of  the  best  of  the  cheap  pavements  so  far 
as  cost  and  permanency  are  concerned.  In  fact, 
the  usual  conditions  surrounding  places  of  this 
kind  are  so  bad  as  to  suggest  the  idea  that 
almost  anything  which  could  be  done  would 
improve  matters,  and  it  is  therefore  recom- 
mended to  trackmen  that  there  is  an  opportu- 
nity in  many  localities  for  effecting  a  change 
which  will  prove  a  great  benefit  to  the  patrons 
of  the  railroad  and  indirectly  to  the  railroad 
itself. 

Like  the  roads  beside  unloading  tracks,  the 
approaches  to  most  stations,  except  those  in 
cities  and  their  immediate  suburbs,  are  usually 
in  a  disgraceful  condition.  For  this  the  rail- 
road companies  can  hardly  be  blamed  since 
the  country  roads  are  little,  if  any,  better. 
But  a  new  sentiment  is  being  aroused,  and  the 
farmers  are  learning  that  cheap  highways  are 
more  costly  in  the  end  than  good  ones.  Laws 
favoring  the  construction  of  good  roads  are 
being  made,  and  the  maintenance-of-way  force 
on  railroads  must  be  prepared  to  meet  the 
demand  for  better  roads  in  station  grounds. 
*  Macadam  roads  are  in  every  way  the  best  for 
the  purpose  until  the  travel  becomes  great 
enough  to  demand  a  regularly  paved  way. 
The  drainage  question  is  here,  as  in  so  many 
other  places,  of  the  utmost  importance.  Suf- 
ficiently drained,  a  macadam  road  may  be 
easily  maintained  under  a  heavy  travel ;  insuf- 
ficiently drained,  it  cannot  be  kept  up  without 
considerable  expense  under  even  slight  use,  for 
the  frost  alone  will  destroy  it  in  time. 

*  For  a  most  instructive  short  treatise  on  this  subject,  read 
'•'Roads  and  Pavements  in  France,"  by  Alfred  Perkins  Rockwell. 
Published  by  John  Wiley  &  Sons,  New  York. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

MISCELLANEOUS     FIXTURES      AND     STATION 
GROUNDS. 

In  the  location  of  all  buildings,  signals,  clearance, 
high  platforms,  etc.,  nothing  should  be  placed 
nearer  the  main  track  than  5  ft.  from  the  near- 
est rail.  Although  a  less  distance  will  clear 
upon  straight  track,  the  5  ft.  leaves  little  to 
spare  at  the  top  of  a  car  when  the  outer  rail  is 
elevated  six  inches. 

The  section-house  should  be  located  in  such  sectum- 
a  way  that  the  car  may  be  got  out  at  any  time  house. 
without  the  likelihood  of  being  hemmed  in  by 
standing  cars.  It  should  have  work-benches 
at  the  sides,  with  racks  at  the  end  and  in  the 
ceiling  for  storing  tools.  A  vise,  a  draw-knife 
for  shaping  handles,  a  carpenter's  cross-cut 
saw,  a  two-man  saw  for  platform  and  highway 
crossing  planks,  one  or  two  coarse  files,  a  tri- 
angular file,  a  brace  and  bits  and  a  grindstone 
are  the  tools  which,  besides  the  ordinary  track 
tools,  are  essential  in  every  section-house, 
although  others  will  be  needed  in  special  cases. 

The  house  should  be  not  less  than  12  ft. 
square  and  may  well  be  16  ft.  square  since  it 
costs  but  little  more  and  is  then  quite  large 
enough  for  several  men  to  work  in  while  the 
hand-car  and  push-car  are  housed.  The  ap- 
pearance of  the  house  (fig.  18)  should  be  neat 
but  quite  plain,  while  there  should  be  windows 
at  the  sides  and  at  the  end  opposite  the  door. 
The  door  should  be  made  in  two  pieces  and 
slide  into  the  front  wall. 


32 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Bumping 
posts. 


FIG.  18. — Section-House. 

Although  bumping  posts  are  not  strictly  a 
part  of  the  track,  roadbed  or  buildings,  track- 
men will  often  be  required  to  furnish  some 
means  of  stopping  cars  at  the  end  of  a  track. 
For  ordinary  purposes,  where  nothing  but  the 
wild  car  itself  will  be  damaged,  if  it  runs  be- 
yond the  end  of  the  track  a  few  feet,  the 
methods  exhibited  in  figs.  19  and  20  will  do 


FIG.  19.— Curved  Rail  Bumper. 


FIG.  20. — Clamped  Bumper. 


quite    well.      Those    arrangements   shown  by 
figs.  21,  22  and  23  are  effective  when  they  are 


SECTION    AT    A.  B. 


FIG.  21. — Triangular  Bumper. 


FIXTURES  AND  STATION  GROUNDS.     33 


SIDE    ELEVATION  SECTION    AT   C.  D. 

Fm.  22.— Timber  Bumper  with  Rods. 


Bumping 
posts. 


SIDE    ELEVATION 

FIG.  23. — Braced  Spring  Bumper. 

made  of  heavy  timbers  with  sufficiently  strong 
tie-rods.     The  device  (fig.  24)  rests  upon  ma- 


FIG.  21  —Ellis  Bumping  Post. 


34  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

sonry  and  is  expected  to  stop  nearly  anything 
which  is  likely  to  be  run  against  it,  since  the 
blow  is  changed  from  a  horizontal  to  a  verti- 
cal motion,  and  the  force  is  largely  absorbed 
by  the  earth  instead  of  by  the  apparatus 
itself. 


FIG.  25. — Ordinary  Mail  Crane. 


Hail 

cranes. 


The, mail  bag  deliverer  (fig.  25)  is  of  the 
simplest,  both  in  idea  and  construction,  and  is 
typical  of  the  usual  method.  In  the  upper 
left  hand  corner  is  shown  a  gage  for  placing 
the  arrangement,  giving  the  distance  of  the 
upper  hook  above  the  rail  (10  ft.)  and  its 
distance  from  the  center  of  the  track.  In  fig. 
26  there  is  illustrated  an  invention  which  is 
for  the  purpose,  both  of  delivering  a  mail  bag 
to  a  train  and  receiving  one  from  a  train  at 
the  same  time.  It  is  but  a  slight  amplification 


FIXTURES  AND  STATION  GROUNDS.     35 

of  fig.  25,  and  is  of  great  use  in  avoiding  the  Mail 
danger    which   must    always    accompany    the  cranes- 


FIG.  26. — Crane  for  Delivering  and  Receiving  Mail. 

throwing  of  mail  bags  from  a  rapidly  moving 
train.  The  Post  Office  Department  furnishes 
plans  of  acceptable  mail-cranes,  and  this  is 
probably  the  best  source  of  information. 

Highway  crossing  signs,  whistle  signs,  mile  Track 
posts  and  other  notices  put  up  to  attract  the  signs' 
attention  of  the  public  or  the  servants  of  the 
railroad  company,   should  be  conventional  in 
form,  that  is,  of  a  commonly  known  pattern, 
and  all  signs  for  a  certain  purpose  should  be 
ill  ike  in  size,  shape,  color  and  in  position  with 
regard  to  the  railroad  track. 

The  sign  indicating  an  approach  to  a  grade  Grade 
crossing  with  another  railroad  is  only  needed  crossing 
when  there  is  no  interlocking  plant.     Its  best  8lgn' 
form  is  like  fig.  27,  which  has  arms  4  ft.  long 
by   6  in.   wide   with  4-in.   letters.     The  post 
should  l)e  10  ft.  long  above  the  ground  and   6 
or  8  inches  square. 


36 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Crossing                                                       /\£ 
signs.                                                         A  ^ 

<j? 

n 

^ 

^ 

^v^, 

v\v* 

FIG.  27. — Railroad  Crossing  Sign. 


FIG.  28. — Highway  Crossing  Sign. 


FIXTURES  AND  STATION  GROUNDS.     37 

The  "highway  crossing  "  sign  (fig.  28)  is  a  Highway 
conventional  one  which  has  boards  about  5  ft.  crossing 
long  by  6  in.  wide  with  4-in.  letters.     The  post  sign< 
should  be  not  less   than    12    ft.    long   above 
ground  with  an  end  section  of  about  8  in.  by 
5  in.  but  tapered   in    the  manner  shown  be- 
tween the  points  C  and  D.      Occasionally  it 
will  be  found  convenient  to  provide  both  sides 
of  the  post  with  a  sign,  in  which  case  the 
appearance  would  be  as  in  the  side  elevation, 
where   the   dotted    lines  represent  the  second 
sign.     In  many  states,  however,  the  form  and 
lettering  of  these  signs  is  prescribed  by  law. 


BRIDGE 
338 


?    STOP       SLOW       WX 


YARD  CAutioN 

DO  NOT  WALK 
||QN  TH^TRACKJj 


FIG.  29.— Various  Signs. 


Iii  fig.  29  are  illustrated  various  signs  of  the  Various 
same  pattern  but  different  letters,   which  may  slgns- 
be  either  raised  or  not.     The  base  is  an  iron 
plate,   ^  in.  thick,  with  a  border,  J  in.  thick 
and  \  in.  wide,  and  it  is  mounted  on  a  post, 
6  in.   by  6  in.,  5  ft.  above  ground.     Of  those 
which    do   not  explain  themselves   in  fig.   29, 
"  W  X  "  means  "  whistle  for  road  crossing  ;  "• 
"  W  S  "  means  "  whistle  for  station." 

The  "mile  post"  (fig.  30)  is  the  well-known  Mile  posts, 
form,  made  of  a  piece  of  8-in.  by  8-in.  timber, 
8  ft.  long,  3  ft.  of  which  should  be  in  the 
ground.  It  should  be  placed  with  an  edge 
toward  the  track,  by  which  means  the  distance 
to  each  terminal  may  be  seen  at  the  same  time. 


38 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


rule  posts.  Wherever  possible  all   of  the  posts  should  be 
on  the  same  side  of  the  track. 


FIG.  30.— Ordinary  Mile  Post. 


rietal 
signs. 


FIG.  31.— Mile  Post. 
(Bond  Steel  Fence  Post  Company.) 

The  use  of  metal  for  signs  increases  their 
cost,  but  they  defy  decay  and  the  guns  of  the 


FIXTURES  AND  STATION  GROUNDS. 

daring  huntsmen  who  use  the  track  as  a  high- 
way and  the  sign  as  a  target. 

Fig.  31  exhibits  a  mile  post  built  entirely  of 
metal,  a  material  which  is  to  be  recommended 
for  all  purposes  of  this  sort  where  perma- 
nency is  of  value.  It  can  be  used  to  advantage 
on  the  signs  shown  in  fig.  29  as  well  as  for  the  Monu_ 
mile  post  or  the  monument  (fig.  32),  which  last  ments. 


FIG.  32. — Monument. 
(Bond  Steel  Fence  Post  Company.) 

is  intended  for  marking  boundary  lines  or  the 
intersection  of  the  railroad  with  town,  county, 
or  state  lines.  It  is  well  to  mention  here  that 
these  intersections  should  always  be  perma- 
nently marked  and  also  the  corners  made  by 
changes  in  the  width  of  the  right-of-way. 

On    some    railroads    these    sign-posts    are 
finished  by  a  heap   of  round   stones,   a  little 


40  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

smaller  in  size  thaii«,  man's  fist.  Sometimes  a 
heap  is  conical,  as  in  fig.  28,  and  sometimes  it 
is  hemispherical  in  form.  This  heap  is  usually 
whitewashed,  and  is  for  the  purpose  of  adding 
to  the  appearance  of  the  post  and  to  prevent 
the  growth  of  vegetation,  which  exposes  the 
post  to  damage  by  fire.  It  is  a  somewhat  ex- 
pensive plan  and  the  benefits  hardly  justify 
the  expense. 


FIG.  33.— Bridge  Warning. 

Fig.  33  is  a  "bridge- warning,"  and  is  nearly 
self-explanatory.  The  hanging  ropes  are  each 
|  in.  in  diameter,  served  with  twine,  not  knot- 
ted at  their  lower  ends  and  attached  to  the 
crane  by  \  in.  round  rods. 

The  most  permanent  letters  and  figures  for 
wooden  boards  or  posts  are  made  of  very  thin 
cast-iron  and  they  are  probably  cheaper  in  the 


FIXTURES  AND  STATION  GROUNDS.     41 

end  than  letters  or  figures  which  must  be  re- 
newed by  a.  regular  painter.  Next  to  them  in 
permanency  come  those  of  a  good  quality  of 
black  graphite  paint,  applied  with  a  brush. 
This  paint  should  always  be  used  for  the  black 
on  woodwork. 

The  fences  at  road-crossings  should  be  white-  white- 
washed at  least  once  a  year,  since  a  white-  wash- 
washed  fence  may  be  seen  at  a  considerable 
distance  at  night  and  it  is  important  that  en- 
ginemen  shall  know  when  they   reach   a   high- 
way.    Salt    used   in   whitewash   causes   it  to 
flake  off  rapidly  and  should  therefore  never  be 
used  under  any  circumstances. 

The  white  paint  used  on  switch  targets,  sig-  Paint, 
nal  blades,  etc.,  should  be  the  best  white  lead. 
The  red  paint  intended  for  the  same  purposes 
should  be  real  English  vermillion,  while  both 
.white  and  red  should  be  mixed  in  linseed  oil. 
Any  odor  of  kerosene  or  gasoline  in  an  oil 
paint,  means  that  it  has  been  adulterated. 

For  the  iron  work  of  water  cranes,  switch 
stands  and  sign  posts,  an  honest  black  asphalt- 
urn  varnish  is  the  best. 

Two  methods  are  known,  otherwise  than  by  Crossing 
watchmen,  for  the  protection  of  the  public  at  bells* 
grade  highway  crossings.  The  first  is  by 
means  of  an  electric  bell  (fig.  34),  located  at 
the  crossing  and  rung  automatically  by  the 
approaching  train.  Usually  these  bells  are 
actuated  by  what  is  called  a  ' '  track  instru- 
ment "  (fig.  35),  which  consists  of  a  lever  sup- 
ported by  the  cross  ties,  the  short  end  of  which 
is  in  contact  with  the  rail,  as  in  fig.  35.  In 
other  forms  it  is  so  placed  as  to  be  depressed  by 
the  wheels  of  a  passing  train.  The  other  end 
of  the  lever,  by  this  up  and  down  movement, 
is  caused  to  make  and  break  the  electric  cir- 
cuit in  which  the  bell  is  placed,  every  time  a 
wheel  passes  over  the  track  instrument. 


42 

Crossing 
bells. 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

In  another  arrangement  the  bell  is  control- 
ed   by  what   is    called   the    "track  circuit," 


FIG.  34.— O'Neil  Crossing  Bell. 


FIG.  35.— O'Neil  Track  Instrument. 


wherein  a  portion  of  the  two  rails  of  the  track 
form  a  part  of  the  bell  circuit,  and  the  bell  is 


FIXTURES  AND  STATION  GROUNDS.     43 


rung  by  the  mere  presence  of  a  pair  of  wheels 
on  the  '•  track  circuit."  The  crossing  bell  is 
generally  regarded  as  suitable  only  at  rural  or 
suburban  crossings. 

The  highway  crossing  "gate"  (fig.  36)  is  crossing 
the  most  recent  development  of  this  idea  which  gate> 
is  the  one  usually  applied  to  busy  grade  cross- 
ings. Originally  the  gates  were  operated  by 
means  of  chains  or  wires  worked  from  a  crank 
located  on  one  of  the  posts  ;  but  in  fig.  36, 
compressed  air  is  the  motive  power.  For  this 
reason  one  man  is  often  able  to  handle  the 
gates  at  several  adjacent  crossings,  since  the 
pump  and  valves  are  usually  placed  in  an 
elevated  cabin  from  which  a  clear  view  may 
be  obtained. 

In  fig.  36,  P  is  the  air  pump,  T  -  T '  the  valves  . 
which,  by  their  position,  determine  the  gates 
to  be  moved  and  whether  they  shall  be  moved 
up  or  down.  A  -  A '  are  the  air-pipes,  D  —  D ' 
are  flexible  diaphragms  contained  in  the  ()- 
shaped  air  chambers  ;  these  diaphragms  rest 
against  the  plungers  R-R'  which  connect 
with  the  cranks  K  -  K '  and  in  turn  transmit 
the  motion  of  R-R'  to  the  sprockets  S-S' 
and  the  chain  C-C'.  The  gates  are  directly 
operated  by  the  system  of  small  cranks  and 
levers  which  lie  immediately  above  S-S'. 
The  weights  W-W  are  for  the  purpose  of 
counterbalancing  the  gates  G-G.  In  the 
illustration  the  gates  are  down,  and  if  it  is 
desired  to  raise  them,  T-T'  are  put  in  that 
position  which  will  cause  the  compressed  air 
to  enter  A  and  will  open  A'  to  the  outside  air. 
The  pump  is  then  worked.  D  (of  the  post 
on  the  right)  is  pressed  toward  R,  moving  R 
and  at  the  same  time  K,  S,  G  and  C.  But  C 
and  C '  are  continuous,  and  any  movement  of 
this  chain  tends  to  simultaneously  either  raise 
or  lower  both  gates,  depending  only  in  which 


3  « 


44 


THE  NEW  Ro  ADM  ASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Crossing 
gate. 


FIXTURES  ANI>  STATION  GROUNDS.     45 

direction  it  moves.  In  other  words,  when  the 
gates  on  the  right  are  to  be  raised,  the  dia- 
phragm on  the  right  acts  for  both  gates,  and 
when  they  are  to  be  lowered  the  reverse  ac- 
tion takes  place. 

Where  a  street  is  narrow,  one  gate  on  each 
side  of  the  track  is  enough,  but  frequently  two 
on  each  side  of  the  track  are  required  while  a 
means  of  still  further  extending  is  found  by 
placing  the  posts  on  the  curb  line  and  using 
small  side- walk  arms  in  addition.  These  arms 
are  shown  broken  in  fig.  36. 

But  of  all  the  means  for    protecting   the  separation 
public  at  highway  crossings  the  separation  of  of  srades- 
the  grades  surpasses  all  others  in  safety  and 
ultimate  cheapness,  except  in  unusually  diffi- 
cult localities.     This  proposition  cannot  be  too 
strongly  stated  since  any  railroad  which,  from 
indifference    or  any   other    cause,   neglects  to 
efface  every  grade   crossing  which  they  have 
the   power  to   avoid,   is   surely  nursing  some 
future  trouble. 

It  is  not  often   that  too   much   attention  is  station 
given  to  neatness  and  an  attractive  appearance  srounds- 
on  our  railroads  ;  on  the  contrary  it  is  a  matter 
which  seems  to  be  regarded,  except  in  a  few 
cases,  as  of  little  or  no  importance.      It  is  not 
intended  to  inquire  into  the  reasons  for  this, 
but  it  is  necessary  to  call  attention  to  the  fact 
and  to  urge  an  improvement  so  far  as  it  lies  in 
the  power  of  each  roadmaster,  supervisor  and 
section-foreman. 

When  the  ordinary  appearance  of  a  country 
station  is  recalled,  with  its  muddy  roads,  dilapi- 
dated fences,  dirty  platforms,  scrap  of  all  kinds 
kinds  lying  everywhere  in  sight,  the  things 
which  must  be  clone  to  make  the  place  attract- 
ive instead  of  repugnant  and  their  small  cost 
become  evident.  The  work  of  one  man  for  a 
week  in  a  year  will  usually  maintain  the  fences; 


46  THE  NEW  Ro  ADM  ASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

station  some  engine  cinders*  or  field  stones  will  fix  the 
grounds.  roajs  •  {l  few  trees  at  the  borders  of  the  com- 
pany's land  ;  a  little  grass  plot  near  the  station 
and  some  vines  at  the  corners  of  the  buildings 
will  cause  the  place  to  look  like  a  gem  instead 
of  an  open  sore.  The  trees  and  vines  will  cost 
only  the  labor  of  transplanting  them  (elms, 
maples  or  oaks,  but  never  fruit  or  nut-bearing 
trees,  because  boys  will  surely  injure  them) 
from  the  nearest  woods,  while  suitable  turf 
can  be  secured  along  the  right-of-way  or  from 
almost  any  pasture. 


CHAPTER  V. 
WATER   SUPPLY.* 

The  question  of  water  supply  is  one  which 
does  not  naturally  have  a  bearing  upon  main- 
tenance-of-way  work,  but  it  is  a  question  which 
will  often  be  forced  upon  the  roadmaster  by 
circumstances,  and  a  few  suggestions  here  may 
easily  prove  of  value. 

Given  a  sufficient  quantity  at  each  of  several  selection  of 
available  sources,  the  only  question  of  impor-  source« 
tance  is  as  to  the  quality  of  the  water.  It 
"must  not  (if  it  can  possibly  be  avoided)  carry 
much  free  lime,  and  it  should  not  be  muddy. 
The  first  condition  is  most  apt  to  be  found  in 
springs  and  the  last  in  streams,  but  the  lime  is 
a  practically  incurable  fault,  while  the  mud 
may  be  much  reduced  in  quantity  by  allowing 
the  water  to  settle  before  finally  delivering  it 
to  the  locomotives.  There  are  many  other 
impurities  which  render  water  undesirable, 
and  for  that  reason  it  is  best  to  have  water 
subjected  to  a  chemical  test  before  finally 
arranging  to  use  it,  but  the  two  objections 
already  noted,  lime  and  mud,  are  the  most 
common. 

To  detect  an  excess  of  lime  in  water  it  is  Testing 
only  necessary  to  dissolve  a  piece  of  white  soap  water. 
the  size  of  a  pea  in  a  tablespoonful  of  freshly 
fallen  rain  water.     When  this  preparation  is 
put  in  a  glass  of  the  water  to  be  tested,  it  will 


*  Many  of  these  notes  were  suggested  by  "The  Elements  of 
Railroading,"  by  Charles  Paine.  Published  by  the  Railroad 
Gazette. 


48 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Cost  of 
plant. 


Wind- 
mills. 


Hydraulic 
ram. 


Gas  and 

steam 

pumps. 


Storage 
reservoir. 


cloud  immediately* if  there  is  much  lime  in  the 
water.  By  using  the  same  quantity  of  soap- 
water  in  several  glasses,  each  holding  the  same 
amount  of  water  to  be  tested,  a  comparison  of 
different  sources  may  easily  be  made,  for  if 
they  contain  different  quantities  of  lime  those 
which  contain  the  most  lime  will  appear  the 
most  clouded. 

If  the  samples  of  water  are  equally  free 
from  impurities  then  there  remains  the  ques- 
tion of  cost.  If  the  water  comes  from  a  point 
30  ft.  or  more  above  the  track  and  is  not  more 
than  half  a  mile  away  (and  sometimes  even 
further)  then  a  gravity  supply  will  almost  al- 
ways be  found  on  investigation  to  be  the  cheap- 
est and  easiest  to  maintain. 

Where  locomotives  take  water  only  at  long 
intervals,  a  wind-mill  may  sometimes  be  used 
economically  and  satisfactorily,  but  they  are 
often  out  of  service  for  two  or  three  days  at  a 
time  for  lack  of  wind.  So  unless  there  is  a 
very  large  supply  reservoir  or  but  three  or 
four  engines  a  week  are  to  be  expected,  they 
cannot  be  relied  upon. 

AVhat  is  known  as  a  hydraulic  ram  will, 
where  economy  of  water  is  not  an  object, 
automatically  raise  considerable  quantities  of 
water  with  practically  no  attention. 

In  point  of  convenience  and  amount  of  at- 
tention necessary,  a  gasoline  or  kerosene  pump 
comes  next  to  a  hydraulic  ram.  These  pumps 
are  fired  automatically  and  stopped  by  the 
filling  of  the  tank,  and  are  usually  less  costly 
in  operation  than  a  steam  pump  where  an 
attendant  is  needed  for  at  least  part  of  the 
time.  But  whatever  pump  is  used,  let  it  be  a 
good  one  and  of  comparatively  large  capacity 
for  the  work  to  be  performed. 

The  storage  reservoir  must  be  near  the  track', 
its  bottom  at  least  25  ft,  above  the  rails  and 


WATER  SUPPLY.     49 

the  pipe  connecting  it  with  the  cranes  should 
be  not  less  than  8  in.  inside  diameter.  Oc- 
casionally it  will  be  found  that  the  storage 
tank  may  consist  of  a  paved  earthen  reservoir 
located  somewhere  near  the  right-of-way,  in 
which  case  it  should  be  covered  with  a  conical 
or  pyramidal  roof,  to  protect  the  water  from 
leaves,  sticks,  etc. 

Usually,  however,  a  wooden  tank  mounted  Frost-proof 
on  posts  will  .be  found  necessary.     This  should  tank< 
be    (fig.    37)  of  frost-proof  construction   and 


FIG.  37.— Frost-proof  Water  Tank. 

when  located  at  a  station  should  be  placed  at  a 
distance  from  the  tracks  and  where  it  will  not 
have  to  be  moved  because  of  changes.  Where 


50 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Reservoir 
capacity. 


Size  of 
pipe. 


the  tank  stands  beside  a  single-track  road  a 
spout  may  be  attached  to  it,  as  in  fig.  37,  but 
on  double  track  or  where  the  tank  is  removed 
from  the  line  a  separate  water  crane  must  be 
provided,  in  which  case  the  spout  is  omitted. 

The  storage  reservoir,  of  whatever  kind, 
should  contain  not  less  than  25,000  gallons, 
which  would  be  held  by  a  tub  16  ft.  in  diame- 
ter by  16  ft.  (about)  high,  the  common  size. 
This  is  sufficient  to  entirely  fill  the  tanks  of 
from  six  to  seven  locomotives. 

Pipe  which  is  too  small  in  diameter  is  fre- 
quently used  for  connecting  the  source  with 
the  storage  tank.  This  is  clone  through  igno- 
rance usually,  but  that  does  not  help  to  relieve 
the  embarrassment  of  the  situation  when  it  is 
found,  too  late,  that  what  should  be  a  full 
stream  of  discharge  into  the  tank  is  nothing 
but  a  ridiculous  trickle.  Although  the  factory 
cost  of  3  in.  pipe  is  twice  as  great  as  that  of 
2  in.  pipe,  the  cost  of  fitting  and  burying  them 
is  practically  the  same,  while  the  capacity  of 
the  3  in.  pipe  is  twice  as  great  as  that  of  the 
2  in.  At  the  same  time  the  fractional  loss, 
>"  choking,"  is  much  less  in  the  3  in.  pipe  than 
in  the  2  in.  This  means  that  on  long  lines  it 
will  take  a  much  more  powerful  pump  to  force 


the  water 


through  a  2 


in.  than  through  a  3  in. 


Care  in 
designing. 


pipe. 

There  is  no  thumb-rule  for  arriving  at  the 
correct  dimensions  of  the  pump  and  pipe  line 
which  are  best  for  any  given  case.  They  de- 
pend upon  the  amount  of  water  which  must 
be  delivered  in  a  given  time,  the  height  to 
which  it  must  be  pumped,  and  the  length  of 
the  pipe  line.  It  may  sometimes  be  cheaper 
to  put  in  a  comparatively  large  pump  and  a 
comparatively'  small  pipe  line,  but  such  a  case 
would  be  very  rare,  and  it  is  well  to  stick 
to  the  idea  of  using  large  pipe  ;  it  is  also  well 


WATER  SUPPLY.     51 


to  remember  that  sharp  corners  in  the  line  are 
a  considerable  obstruction. 

In  the  choice  of  a  water  crane  there  is  a  water 
considerable  opportunity  for  selection ;  the  cranes- 
points  to  be  considered  are  size  and  general 
arrangement.  The  size  is  easily  determined  ; 
it  should  deliver  a  stream  of  water  not  less 
than  8  in.  in  diameter,  which  size  should  con- 
tinue all  the  way  to  the  tank.  Smaller  cranes 
are  built  but  they  deliver  water  so  slowly  as  to 
cause  annoying  delays.  The  general  arrange- 
ment of  the  crane  is  usually  best  determined 
by  the  reputation  of  its  maker,  but  one  thing 


J  \ 


"Q3T 

FIG.  38.— Poage  Water  Crane. 

must  be  borne  in  mind  :  the  valve  must  be 
nicely  graduated,  for  if  it  is  not,  when  shut- 


52  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

ting  off  the  water,  tRe  pipe  line  is  apt  to  be 
burst  by  a  rise  in  pressure  clue  to  a  too  rapid 
stopping  of  the  flow. 

The  ease  of  control  is  closely  allied  to  this. 
Usually  it  is  best  to  have  the  valves  operated 
from  the  end  of  the  crane,  as  in  figs.  38  and 
39,  which  are  of  standard  makes,  so  that  the 


Crane  pit. 


FIG.  39.— Sheffield  Water  Crane. 
(Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.) 

fireman  may  start  and  stop  the  water  and 
watch  his  tank  fill  without  getting  down  from 
the  tender. 

The  pit  should  be  about  six  feet  deep  with 
stone  or  brick  walls  and  a  cover  which  con- 
tains an  air  space  of  four  or  five  inches,  the 
best  method  of  preventing  the  penetration  of 
frost.  There  should  also  be  a  drain  under  the 


WATER  SUPPLY.     53 


Track 
tank. 


54  THE  NEW  Ro  ADM  ASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

end  of  the  crane  to  cany  off  the  drippings, 
and  this  drain  should  be  easily  opened  in  order 
to  be  able  to  free  it  of  ice  in  winter. 
Track  Many  railroads  with  fast  trains  have  equip- 

tanks-  ped  their  high-speed  tracks  with  troughs, 
by  means  of  which  and  by  scoops  that  are 
attached  to  certain  locomotives,  the  fast  trains 
are  not  required  to  stop  or  even  slow  down 
very  much  when  they  wish  to  take  water. 
Fig.  40  is  from  a  drawing  of  the  track  tank 
used  by  the  Michigan  Central  Eailroad,  and 
does  not  differ  much  from  those  used  on  other 
lines.  The  trough  is  made  from  a  series  of 
plates  curved  in  the  form  of  a  flat  u.  It  is 
fed  at  intervals  throughout  its  length  from  a 
frost-proof  tank  located  somewhere  near  the 
track,  through  the  3-in.  pipe.  This  pipe  also 
serves  to  supply  steam  to  the  trough  in  winter 
to  prevent  ice  from  forming. 


CHAPTER   VI. 
DRAINAGE. 

Since  the  greatest  enemy  of  the  track  is  Time  for 
water,  good  drainage  becomes  a  matter  of  the  dltchmg- 
last  importance.  Without  sufficient  ditches, 
the  best  ballast  fails  in  its  office,  soon  be- 
comes filled  with  sand  or  clay,  and,  in  winter 
when  quick  drainage  is  a  necessity,  acts  as  a 
reservoir  to  hold  the  water,  with  heaving  track 
and  all  its  miseries  as  a  consequence.  Although 
in  Chapter  II  it  was  stated  that  ditching 
should  be  commenced  in  the  spring  as  soon  as 
the  frost  is  out  of  the  ground,  it  must  be  under- 
stood that  this  item  of  track  work  is  never 
unseasonable,  but  should  be  pushed  whenever 
necessary  even  to  the  exclusion  of  other  work, 
because  it  quickly  and  amply  repays  all  of 
the  labor  spent  upon  it. 

Each  section  should  be  provided  with  a 
ditching  line,  which  should  always  be  used  in 
cleaning  out  an  old  ditch  or  opening  a  new  one. 
Nothing  looks  worse  than  a  water-way  which 
staggers,  now  toward,  now  away,  from  the 
track,  narrow  in  some  places  and  wide  in  others. 
Both  in  a  flat  country  and  through  cuts  a  cross 
section  of  the  track  and  ditch  should  appeal- 
some  what  like  fig.  41. 

The  "  berm,"  or  shoulder  next  to  the  track,  section  of 
should  be  lower  than  the  bottom  of  the  ballast  road=bed- 
at  the  centre  of  the  track,  and  sufficiently  wide 
to  insure  its  acting  as  a  support  for  the  ballast, 
for  which  purpose  it  is  principally  intended. 


56 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Section  of 
road-bed. 


DRAINAGE.     57 

In  fig.  41  it  will  be  noticed  that  all  of  the 
corners  tire  rounded,  a  form  which  nature  will 
eventually  force  them  to  take  and  consequently 
the  form  which  should  be  given  to  the  earth  at 
the  start ;  otherwise  the  ditches  must  soon  be 
cleaned  of  the  material  which  will  fall  from 
the  edges. 

The  width  of  the  sub- grade  from  corner  to 
corner  varies  greatly  on  different  railroads. 
On  double  track,  13  ft.  centers,  8^  ft.  ties,  12 
in.  of  ballast  and  a  3  ft.  berm — 30  ft.  would  be 
the  width,  but  if  in  the  practice  on  any  railroad 
any  of  these  dimensions  is  different,  it  is  evi- 
dent that  the  width  of  the  sub-grade  will  also 
be  different.  On  single  main  track  with 
8Jft.  ties,  12  in.  of  ballast  and  a  3ft.  berm, 
the  width  of  the  sub-^rade  becomes  about 
17  ft. 

The  practice   ot  beginning  a  ditch  at  the  Ditching 
upper   end   is   so    ridiculous  that  one  would  " 
suppose  it  unnecessary  to    caution  trackmen 
against  it.     Experience,  however,  proves  the 
contrary  to  be  the  case,  since  it  is  a  common 
and  serious  mistake. 

In  many  heavy  cuts,  as  well  as  in  making  new 
ditches,  a  ditching  plow  which  can  be  hauled 
by  the  locomotive  of  the  work  train  will  be 
found  of  considerable  assistance  in  loosening 
the  earth  preparatory  to  loading  it  on  cars, 
while,  for  disposing  of  more  than  five  or  six 
carloads  of  waste  material,  the  unloading  plow 
should  be  brought  into  play. 

Fig.  42  illustrates  a  complete  ditching  ma-  Ditching 
chine.     All  the  motions  of  the  crane  are  per-  machine- 
formed  by  means  of  compressed  air,  while  it 
has  connected  with  it  a  plow  for  loosening  the 
earth  and  a  scoop  for  loading  the  earth  on  cars. 
An  unloading  plow  is  also  provided,  and  these 
three  articles  are  shown  at  rest  upon  the  crane- 
car.      Where  much  ditching  must   be   done, 


58  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

some  such  device  is  necessary  from  the  stand- 
point of  economy. 


FIG.  42. — Compressed-air  Ditching  Outfit. 
(American  Steel  Foundry  Company.) 

Disposition  The  material  taken  from  ditches  should 
of  waste.  never  be  thrown  up  on  the  bank  where  it  will 
be  washed  down  again  by  the  first  rain,  but 
should  be  loaded  at  once  on  the  work  train  or 
the  push  car  and  permanently  disposed  of.  In 
this  connection  it  is  well  to  say  that  every  p<>>- 
sible  means  should  be  taken  to  protect  the 
ballast  from  this  waste  material  which,  if  it  be- 
comes mixed  with  the  ballast,  is  harmful.  For 
all  but  the  heaviest  ditching  long-handled 
'shovels  should  be  used,  in  order  that  the  men 
may  easily  reach  the  top  of  a  loaded  flat  car 
from  the  bottom  of  a  ditch,  and  also  that  they 
shall  not  be  forced  to  stoop  too  low  in  making 
a  thin  cut  with  the  shovel. 

Large  stones  are  not  only  unsightly  when 
left  in  the  path  of  a  ditch,  but  are  detrimental. 
They  may  be  sunk  and  buried  wrhere  they  lie, 
blasted  and  so  broken  up,  or  a  fire  may  be 
built  over  them  until  they  are  very  hot,  when  it 
is  often  possible  to  shiver  them  by  pouring  cold 
water  on  them. 

Paving  In  towns,  or  where  the  work  done  is  likely 

ditches.       £0  ke  Q£  a  lagfjug  character,  it   wTill  be   found 

desirable  to  pave  the  ditches  with  large  cobble 

stones,  which  can  often  be  taken  from   gravel 


DRAINAGE.     59 

ballast,  where  they  are  always  undesirable. 
Ditches  paved  in  this  way,  when  given  suf- 
ficient fall,  flush  themselves  during  each  heavy 
rain  and  retain  their  shape  for  a  long  time, 
particularly  when  located  at  the  foot  of  a  well- 
sodded  bank  or  a  retaining  wall. 

Tile  drains  have  been  used  from  the  most  Tiiedrains. 
ancient  times,  and  although  their  value  is  well 
known  to  many  people,  they  have  not  until 
recently  been  used  to  a  considerable  extent  on 
railroads,  where,  in  hundreds  of  serious  cases, 
they  would  effect  a  perfect  cure.  Tiles  should 
be  placed  below  frost  (which  varies  from  noth- 
ing in  the  South  to  at  least  five  feet  in  the  ex- 
treme Northern  States),  with  the  ends  of  the 
tiles  nearly  but  not  quite  touching,  since  they 
are  intended  for  collecting  the  wrater  quite  as 
much  as  for  carrying  *it  off.  To  prevent  dirt 
from  being  carried  into  the  drain  a  sod  should 
be  turned  upside  down  over  each  joint  and  the 
efficiency  of  the  drain  is  greatly  increased  by 
covering  the  liup  of  tile  with  several  inches  of 
coarse  gravel  or  locomotive  cinders.  In  wet 
slopes  the  tiles  should  be  laid  in  parallel  lines 
running  diagonally  clown  the  face  of  the  bank 
in  the  direction  of  the  fall  of  the  track,  and  of 
a  size  or  frequency  depending  upon  the  amount 
of  Avater  to  be  carried  away. 

The  diagonal  drains  (fig.  41)  should  be  con- 
nected at  their  lower  ends  to  a  larger  drain 
laid  under  the  ditch,  which  should  increase  in 
size  in  the  direction  of  its  fall.  If  a  spring 
exists  in  the  bank  a  separate  line  of  pipe 
should  be  laid  from  it  to  one  of  the  diagonal 
drains,  or  to  the  large  drain,  while  to  secure 
perfect  drainage  on  double  track  another  line 
of  tiles  must  be  run  between  the  tracks,  just 
below  the  ballast,  which  last  line  should  have 
frequent  outlets  communicating  Avith  the  large 
drains  located  on  the  outside  of  the  tracks. 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

These  tiles  are  made  in  many  forms  and 
sizes  and  of  many  different  kinds  of  clay  ; 
some  are  glazed  and  are  therefore  quite  costly, 
but  between  these  and  the  poorest  quality  are 
plenty  of  grades  sufficiently  good  for  the  work 
in  question  and  not  high  in  price.  A  special 
shovel  is  made  for  tile  ditching  (illustrated  in 
the  chapter  on  Tools)  which  is  the  most  con- 
venient form  for  this  work. 

The  desultory  way  in  which  a  section  gang 
is  usually  forced  to  carry  on  a  large  piece  of 
work  does  not  lead  to  economical  results ; 
therefore  if  a  large  amount  of  tile  is  to  be 
laid  it  will  be  most  cheaply  done  by  organiz- 
ing a  special  gang  for  the  purpose,  or  by  letting 
the  job  to  some  outsider  at  so  much  per  run- 
ning foot. 

Wherever  a  cut  has  higher  ground  above 
the  slope  line,  a  ditch  (fig.  41)  should  be  dug, 
somewhat  above  it,  to  interrupt  all  surface 
water  which  might  otherwise  flow  down  and 
so  destroy  the  slope.  % 

As  a  substitute  for  tiles,  straight  poles 
roughly  trimmed  of  their  branches  will  serve. 
They  should  be  laid  heads  and  points,  in  a 
bunch  of  three  or  four,  with  their  ends  slightly 
overlapping,  and  at  about  the  same  depth  as  a 
tile  drain.  They  make  an  excellent  medium 
and  will  carry  off  large  quantities  of  water, 
but  are  never  so  good  as  tiles. 

There  are  many  points  around  a  track,  such 
as  highway  crossings,  wagon  tracks  at  stations, 
etc.,  etc.,  where  a  ditch  cannot  be  placed,  or 
would  be  of  no  use,  which  might  be  made  per- 
fectly dry  by  sub-drainage  at  small  cost,  in- 
stead of  being  allowed  to  remain  in  the  bad 
condition  so  often  seen  at  such  places. 

After  a  cut  has  been  properly  drained  its 
banks  should  be  sown  with  grass  seed,  or  better 
still,  sodded,  as  a  grassy  slope  is  not  only  at- 


DRAINAGE.     61 

tractive  in  appearance  but  it  will  hold  the 
earth  firmly  in  position.  The  difficulty  in 
making  grass  grow  at  these  points  is  chiefly 
due  to  poor  soil  and  a  too  great  steepness  of 
the  banks.  The  only  means  therefore  of  obviat- 
ing the  trouble  is  to  supply  a  good  covering  of  • 
loam  on  a  properly  sloped  bank.  On  em- 
bankments the  turf  should  be  made  to  grow 
over  and  on  top  of  the  sub-grade  for  about  a 
foot,  forming  a  sightly  border  and  affording 
protection  to  the  shoulder  of  the  bank. 

The  form  of  a  bank  will  differ  somewhat  siopcof 
according  to  the  material  of  which  it  is  made.  embank- 
The  commonest  slope  is  1^  to  1 ;  that  is  in  fig. 
43  (which  represents  either  a  cut  or  fill),   the 


BOTTOM  3. 
OF  SLOPE 


FIG.  43. — Slope  Diagram. 

middle  line  is  seen  to  be  10  ft.  above  C  at  A 
and  15  ft.  away  from  C  at  B.  The  first  dis- 
tance given,  1J,  refers  to  the  horizontal  line 
B  C,  and  the  second  distance,  1,  refers  to  the 
vertical  measurements  C-D,  C-A,  C-E, 
which  in  fio;.  43  are  15  to  7  A  (2  to  1),  15  to  10 
(li  to  1),  and  15  to  15  (1  to  1). 


62 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


With  such  poor  nfaterial  as  clay  or  fine  sand 
the  inclination  may  have  to  be  reduced  as 
much  as  two  feet  out  to  each  one  in  height,  that 
is,  2  to  1,  while  with  loose  rock  1  to  1  is 
usually  sufficient  until,  as  the  character  of  the 
ground  gradually  approaches  solid  rock,  the 
sides  become  more  and  more  steep,  so  that 
they  will  finally  reach  an  almost,  if  not  quite, 
vertical  position. 


FIG.  44.— Slope  Gage. 

slope  gage.  j±  gage  (fig.  44)  for  determining  the  slope  of 
any  embankment  is  a  convenient  and  inexpens- 
ive device.  It  is  formed  of  three  pieces  of 
3-in.  by  1-iii.  pine  with  a  fixed  diagonal  dis- 
tance of  6  ft.  from  pin  to  pin.  The  other  two 
pieces  have  each  three  holes  which  are  marked 
1-1,  1 J-  1  and  2  -1  ;  when  they  are  fastened 
together  at  these  corresponding  points  by  a 
movcable  pin,  and  the  top  piece  (which  is  pro- 
vided with  a  level)  is  held  level,  the  diagonal 
piece  will  show  the  slope  desired.  This  tool 
may  be  folded  up  when  not  in  use  by  simply 
taking  out  the  pin  in  the  upper  left-hand 
corner.  -Experience  is  the  only  successful 
teacher  in  enabling  one  to  previously  deter- 


DRAINAGE.     63 

mine  what  slope  to  give  a  bank,  and  even  the 
best  judgment  will  occasionally  prove  at  fault. 

When  an  error  of  this  kind  is  made  and  a  Preserving 
bank  is  found  to  be  continually  sliding  there 
are  several  ways  of  treating  it.  If  it  is  a  fill 
the  drainage  question  seldom  enters  and  the 
trouble  is  "usually  cured  gradually,  by  either 
sodding  the  bank,  if  that  seems  likely  to  be 
sufficient,  or  by  dumping  new  material  as 
fast  as  it  is  required.  It  will  be  often  found, 
however,  that  this  cannot  be  done  without 
buying  additional  land  along  the  right-of-way, 
or  else  paying  damages  to  the  neighboring 
proprietors  for  the  occupation  of  their  lands. 
When  none  of  these  methods  will  answer,  a 
retaining  wall  of  some  kind  becomes  necessary, 
which,  if  it  is  to  be  permanent,  must  be  built  of 
stone  although  it  will  last  for  many  years  if 
made  of  old  timber  or  cross  ties  in  the  form  of 
a,  crib.  The  same  conditions  hold  in  cuts 
except  with  regard  to  drainage,  which  there 
is  apt  to  be  the  most  important  question. 
One  cure  has  already  been  suggested  in  the 
treatment  by  tile  drains,  but  cases  may  be  met 
in  which  both  tile  drains  and  retaining  walls 
will  be  required. 

If,  as  occasionally  happens,  an  old  embank- 
ment begins  to  slip,  it  may  usually  be  stopped 
by  placing  tile  drains  in  the  manner  already 
mentioned  or  by  digging  trenches  four  feet 
wide  and  four  feet  deep  every  forty  or  fifty 
feet,  at  right  angles  to  the  track,  and  filling 
these  trenches  with  rubble  stone  or  small 
nigger-heads.  Heaving  may  sometimes  occur 
on  embankments  five  or  six  feet  high,  due  to 
the  absorption  of  water  from  the  bottom,  and 
this  also  will  yield  to  the  usual  and  useful 
remedy,  the  tile  drain. 

Retaining  or  "  face  walls  "   of  considerable  Retaining 
size  should  be  built  by  masons,   but  smaller  wa"8' 


64 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Retaining 
walls. 


ones  are  often  needed  and  these  may  be  readily 
constructed  by  the  track  men,  particularly  if 
the  stone  is  conveniently  situated  and  easily 
worked.  Small  boulders  and  loose  rock  when 
hammered  roughly  into  shape,  carefully  laid 
and  well  backed,  make  a  good  wall.  There 
should  be  (fig.  45)  a  firm  and  reliable  bed  for 

,f> 


FIG.  45.— Retaining  Wall  and  Ditch. 

the  foundation,  begun  below  the  point  to  which 
frost  penetrates,  and  means  must  be  taken 
to  provide  a  quick  and  easy  passage  of  the 
water  from  the  back  to  the  face  of  the  wall. 
This  is  best  accomplished  through  loop  holes, 
"  weepers,"  in  the  masonry  every  few  feet,  the 
bot'tom  of  the  holes  slightly  above  the  high- 
water  line  of  the  ditch,  while  the  rapidity  of 
drainage  will  be  increased  by  a  back  filling  of 
coarse  gravel  or  locomotive  cinders.  At  ex- 
cessively wet  places  a  line  of  tile  drain  just 
back  of  the  wall  and  connected  with  the  loop 
holes,  will  be  found  of  assistance  in  disposing 
of  the  water,  and  will  in  that  way  offer  great 
protection  to  the  foundations  as  well  as  to  the 
rest  of  the  wall.  The  face  of  the  wall  should 
slope  from  the  top  to  the  bottom  or  have  what, 


DRAINAGE.     65 


in  other  words,  is  called  si  "  batter."  The 
amount  of  the  batter  will  vary  somewhat  with 
the  circumstances,  but  for  ordinary  walls  (as 
in  fig.  45)  2  in.  for  1  foot  in  height  is  sufficient. 
The  base  of  the  wall  proper  (that  is,  the  top 
of  the  foundation)  should  equal  one-half  its 
height,  and  the  top  of  the  wall  should  equal 
one-third  of  its  height,  so  that  a  wall  extend- 
ing 6  ft.  above  the  ground  line  would  have 
a  base  3  ft.  wide  and  a  top  2  ft.  wide,  as  is 
shown  in  fig.  45. 

The  foundation,  as  will  be  seen,  has  no  bat- 
ter  and  no  particular  depth  is  given  ;  this,  as 
has  been  stated,  must  depend  upon  the  quality 
of  the  bed  and  the  distance  to  which  frost 
penetrates.  The  poorest  bed  for  a  foundation 
is  composed  of  quicksand  or  bog  ;  the  best  is 
solid  rock  or  coarse  gravel.  Between  these 
are  different  kinds  of  material,  some  fairly 
good,  many  very  bad  and  since  so  much  de- 
pends upon  a  successful  selection  it  is  best  to 
ask  advice  where  the  matter  seems  at  all  un- 
certain. Much  time  and  expense  may  be 
saved  bv  sinking  test  holes  before  the  work  is 

»/ 

begun,  which  if  done  will  show  what  may  be 
expected  and  thus  enable  one  to  make  all 
necessary  preparations.  The  resistance  of  a 
wall  is  greatly  increased  by  slightly  sloping  the 
stones  that  lie  above  the  foundation,  as  shown 
m  fisf.  45. 

O 

A  cheaper,  but  not  nearly  so  effective,  way 
of  holding  the  toe  of  a  bank  is  accomplished 
by  laying  upon  their  edges  stones  which  are 
somewhat  flat  in  form,  following  always  the 
natural  slope  of  the  bank.  This  method  will 
tend  to  prevent  the  surface  earth  from  sliding 
and  may  also  be  used  with  advantage  at  the 
foot  of  banks  that  are  washed  by  a  stream, 
particularly  where  the  course  of  the  stream  is 
curved. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
CULVERTS,  TRESTLES  AND  BRIDGE  FLOORS. 

The  main  track  should  never  be  laid  directly  use  of 
upon  stringers.  Cross  ties  should  always  be 
interposed  to  bear  the  continual  pounding  of 
the  rails  as  well  as  to  counteract  their  tendency 
to  crowd  apart.  On  coal  trestles,  and  other 
structures  of  a  like  character  where  it  is  neces- 
sary to  unload  material  by  dumping  it,  the  rails 
niiiy.be  laid  upon  stringers  and  these  should 
be  frequently  tied  together  by  1-in.  round  iron 
rods.  Reverse  pointed  spikes  (fig.  46),  if  any, 
must  be  used,  for  fastening  clown  the  rail,  as 
the  ordinary  form  tends  to  split  the  stringer. 
Better  than  the  spike,  however,  for  this  pur- 
pose, is  the  interlocking  bolt  (fig.  47),  which 


FIG.  46. — Reverse  Pointed  Spike. 


FlG.  47.— Bush  Interlocking  Boltn 


68  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

does  not  work  loose,  wear  out  quickly,  or  split 
the  stringer,  or  else  a  lag  screw  with  a  clip  to- 
cover  the  base  of  the  rail  (see  fig.  112,  Chap.  X). 
Culverts.  The  use  of  wood  as  a  support  beneath  the 
ties  of  a  main  track  cannot  be  recommended. 
It  rots  and  it  burns,  two  faults  not  shared  by 
steel,  which  is  now  so  cheap  and  is  rolled  in 
so  many  varying  shapes  as  to  adapt  it  to  almost 
all  kinds  of  work.  When  therefore,  an  open 
culvert  is  unavoidable  it  is  best  built  with 
stone  walls,  iron  stringers  and  a  standard  bridge 
floor.  In  small  openings,  I-beams  tied  together 
at  the  ends  and  well  braced  may  be  used  where 
the  culvert  cannot  be  covered  in  the  form  of  a 
box  or  an  arch. 

Cast-iron  pipes  are  the  best  material  for  small 
culverts,  and  up  to  an  end  area  of  about  fif- 
teen square  feet  are  cheaper  than  an  arch.  Less- 
substantial,  but  cheaper  than  iron,  are  baked 
clay  pipes,  which  are  now  widely  used  with 
good  results.  Both  kinds  may  be  laid  singly 
or  in  numbers,  one  beside  the  other.  At  the 
upper  end,  such  a  culvert  (fig.  48),  should 


FIG.  48.— Pipe  Culvert. 

begin  in  a  stout,  deep  wall  of  stone  laid  in 
cement  to  prevent  the  water  from  leaking 
under  it,  around  it,  or  washing  the  bank.  At 
the  down-stream  end,  the  outlet  should  be 
paved  for  a  short  distance,  particularly  if  the 
water  has  any  fall  on  leaving  the  pipe,  while 
the  earth  under  the  whole  length  of  the  pipe 


CULVERTS,  TRESTLES  AND  BRIDGE  FLOORS. 

should  l)e  rammed  and  well  settled  before  the 
pipe  is  laid. 

Old  wooden  culverts  can  frequently  be 
repaired  and  made  permanent  by  inserting 
through  them  cast-iron  or  earthenware  pipes, 
afterwards  tilling  around  them  with  dirt  well 
rammed  in.  It  is  well  to  remember  that  the 
material  for  this  tilling  should  be  the  same  as 
that  which  constitutes  the  rest  of  the  bank  up 
to  the  bottom  of  the  ballast,  in  order  that  the 
rate  of  heaving  in  winter  shall  remain  the  same. 

For  covered  waterways  a  stone  arch  is  by 
all  means  the  best  form  of  culvert,  although 
a  strong,  flat,  stone  cover,  where  the  span  is 
very  short,  will  do  quite  as  well. 

The  theory  that  it  i's  best  to  endeavor  to  Bridge 
re-rail  a  derailed  truck  before  it  reaches  a  floors- 
bridge  has  given  way  to  the  practice  of  build- 
ing floors  in  such  a  manner  as  to  carry  a 
derailed  wheel  across  the  bridge  without  caus- 
ing a  wreck.  This  last  plan  is  sometimes 
accomplished  by  placing  the  ties  very  close 
together,  or  by  putting  heavy  iron  plates  on 
each  side  of  the  rails  and  on  top  of  the  ties  or 
both,  thus  providing  a  nearly  smooth  floor 
along  which  a  flange  may  travel  without  much 
shock  or  jar.  A  modern  method,  concerning 
the  economy  of  which  opinions  differ,  is  to 
provide  a  floor  system  which  will  permit  the 
standard  track,  including  ties  and  ballast,  to 
be  carried  entirely  across  the  bridge.  On 
metal  bridges  this  is  done  (usually)  by  means 
of  what  are  called  "buckle  plates,"  and  since 
it  is  a  method  entirely  beyond  the  powers  of 
the  track  force,  it  need  not  be  .discussed  here. 

Fig.  49  illustrates  one  form  of  ballasted 
wooden  trestle  whereon  it  will  be  seen,  by 
comparison  with  fig.  52,  that  the  only  essential 
additions  to  the  ordinary  trestle  are  four  string- 
ers, a  floor  of  planking  and  a  curb  on  each 


70 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Bridge 
floors. 


danger  of  fire  is 


side  of  the  planking.     The 
almost    banished,     the    cost    of    maintenance 
should  be  reduced  and  the  life  of  the  trestle 
prolonged.     On   the    Louisville    &    Nashville 


It -rog- , 


:  14-28  Stringers  sized  over  capslo  7xl33/4 

.14*0- 

FIG.  49.— Lee's  Ballasted  Trestle. 

Railroad  the  flooring  planks  of  such  trestles 
are  creosoted  in  order  to  preserve  them. 

In  fig.  50  it  is  proposed  to  re-rail  a  pair  of 
trucks  which  have  left  the  rails,  first  by  forc- 
ing them  into  the  straight  position  by  means 
of  the  outside  guard  timbers  (which  are  shod 
with  iron  plates)  and  the  inside  guard  rails  ; 
then,  by  means  of  the  castings  A  and  B,  to 
raise  the  wheels  so  that  those  outside  will  be 
carried  up  to  the  top  of  the  rails  and  gradu- 
ally pulled  into  place.  The  inside  guard  rails 
are  often  finished  off  and  brought  together 
some  distance  from  the  bridge  with  an  iron 


CULVERTS,  TRESTLES  AND  BRIDGE  FLOORS.     71 

point,   taken  from   a  condemned  frog.     It  is 
doubted  Avhether  this  is  a  good  plan  since,  in 


device- 


SECTION    AT  C-D 
FIG.  50.  —  Bridge-approach  Re-railing  Device. 

.many  cases,  the  wheels  of  a  derailed  car  are 
diverted  more  than  half  the  gage  of  the  track 
and  the  pointed  guard  rails  then  become  a 
source  of  danger. 


SIDE    VIEW  OF  BENT  RAILS 


l~1  PI  r^t  t~i  r*1  r-~i 


fl 


^ 


uuuuu 


C          D          E 

1     1,     1 


T — T  ~^~ 

1  1  SECTION    AT    A-B  1     1 

FIG.  51.— Protected  Bridge  Floor. 

Fig.  51  illustrates  a  method,  used  011  some  Bridge 
roads,    of  providing  a  nearly  solid  floor   but  floor- 


72  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

with  no  attempt  to  replace  any  derailed 
wheels.  The  central  rails  C  -  D  -  E  are  bent 
down  at  the  ends  of  the  bridge  so  that  noth- 
ing will  catch  upon  them,  and  the  ties  are 
placed  closely  together  in  order  that  the 
shocks  to  the  derailed  wheels  may  be  very 
slight.  It  is  evident  that  a  strip  of  heavy 
metal  plates  laid  on  each  side  of  the  main 
rails  will  still  further  add  to  the  protection 
of  the  ties  and  the  efficiency  of  the  device. 
On  all  bridge  floors,  where  the  ties  are  laid 
directly  on  the  stringers,  the  ties  should  be 
frequently  bolted  to  the  guard  timbers  on  the 
outside  of  the  track,  and  inside  guard  rails 
should  be  provided,  securely  braced  and  fast- 
ened to  the  ties. 

shimming  Trackmen  should  be  very  cautious  about 
floors'  shimming  the  ties  or  stringers  at  bridges, 
trestles  and  culverts.  The  practice  is  much 
overdone  and  should  by  all  means  be  left  to 
the  bridge  gang,  except  in  cases  of  extreme 
necessity. 

Trestles.  The  construction  of  trestles  must  usually  be 
left  to  the  bridge  gang,  but  occasions  will  often 
*arise  on  small  roads  where  the  knowledge  as 
to  how  a  temporary  trestle  should  be  built 
may  be  of  considerable  assistance  to  the  road- 
master  in  repairing  the  road  after  a  wreck  or 
a  washout. 

A  simple  form  of  trestle  is  shown  in  fig.  52, 
and  consists  of  abutments  and  piers  called 
"  bents,"  spaced  12  ft.  apart  from  center  to 
center.  These  support  the  "stringers"  on  which 
the  cross  ties  and  rails  are  laid.  The  top  and 
bottom  pieces  of  a  bent  are  called  respectively 
the  "cap"  and  "sill,"  the  outside  inclined 
posts  are  called  "  batter  posts,"  while  the  in- 
side posts  are  called  "plumb  posts."  All  of 
these  pieces  should  be  formed  of  sound  timber 
and,  except  the  stringers,  of  not  less  than  12 


CULVERTS,  TRESTLES  AND  BRIDGE  FLOORS.     73 

in.. by  12  in.  squaie,  nor  more  than  20  ft.  long,  Trestles, 
because  this  method  is  not  adapted  to  higher 


FIG.  52.— Typical  Trestle. 


structures.  The  stringers,  if  formed  of  clean 
white  pine,  should  be  four  in  number,  two 
under  each  rail,  and  with  an  end  section  of  8 
in.  x  16  in.  Either  the  size  or  the  number  of 
stringers  must  be  increased  if  the  material  is 
not  perfectly  good.  Wherever  it  is  possible 
the  joints  of  the  stringers  should  be  broken, 
but  this  will  require  24-ft.  timbers,  which  can- 
not always  be  secured  when  they  are  needed, 
and  the  necessity  may  be  avoided  in  tempo- 
rary work  by  substituting  strong  knee  braces 
overlapping  the  joints  and  nailed  firmly  to  the 
stringers  with  heavy  boat  spikes. 

If  the  trestle  is  likely  to  remain  long  in  place, 
the  posts  should  be  fastened  to  the  cap  and 
sill  by  1  in.  drift  bolts  2  ft.  long.  Parallel 
stringers  'should  be  joined  by  1  in.  bolts  and 
separated  from  each  other  for  the  purpose  of 
drainage  by  washers  1  in.  thick,  while  to  pre- 
vent them  from  shifting  sideways  a  two-inch 
plank  may  be  nailed  along  the  top  of  the  cap, 
close  up  to  and  in  contact  with  the  stringers. 
The  stringers  must  also  be  securely  braced 


74  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

against  the  bank  at  each  end  in  order  that  the 
trestle  shall  not  lean.  Where  there  are  more 
than  three  or  four  bents,  longitudinal  braces  of 
3  in.  x  12  in.  material  must  be  provided  to 
stiffen  the  trestle  through  its  length  as  shown 
in  fig.  52. 

Erecting  In  rapid  streams  it  is  sometimes  necessary  to 
float  the  bents  into  place,  but  this  can  usually 
be  accomplished  by  means  of  an  anchor  line 
up  stream  and  eight  guy  lines,  two  at  each  end 
of  the  cap  and  two  at  each  end  of  the  sill.  Care 
must  be  taken  that  the  sill  shall  rest  on  an 
even  foundation  and,  if  possible,  one  whose 
material,  when  exposed  to  the  wash  of  a  stream, 
will  not  scour  from  under  the  sill  and  let  it 
sink.  To  prevent  this  it  is  well  to  dump  some 
large  stones  and  brush  at  the  sides  of  and  at 
the  up-stream  end  of  each  bent,  after  it  is  in 
place,  particularly  if  the  trestle  is  to  remain 
for  any  length  of  time. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
BALLAST. 

The  usual  reasons  given  for  not  having  good 
ballast  under  a  track  are  that  it  cannot  be 
found  near  enough  the  place  where  it  is  want- 
ed, Or  that  the  road  is  too  poor  to  get  it  when 
it  is  close  by.  Ninety-nine  times  out  of  a  hun- 
dred the  first  reason  is  a  wrong  one.  Gravel 
or  sand  is  probably  near  at  hand  if  someone 
will  only  wake  up  and  look  for  it.  The  sec- 
ond reason  is  not  worth  discussing,  for  an  un- 
ballasted track  is  expensive  to  maintain ;  much 
more  costly  than  if  well  ballasted. 

The  different  kinds  of  ballast  occupy  about  Kinds  of 
the  following  order  of  merit :  broken  stone,  ballast. 
clean  coarse  gravel,  furnace  slag,  engine  cinder 
and  clean  sand.  Almost  any  limestone  or 
granitic  rock  will  form  a  good  ballast,  but  very 
soft  sandstones  and  clay  or  shale  rocks  should 
not  be  used.  Soft  sandstone  breaks  in  tamp- 
ing, while  the  clay  or  shale  rocks,  although 
they  may  be  hard  when  put  into  the  track, 
fall  to  pieces  very  rapidly  when  exposed  to 
the  weather.  Burnt  clay  has  also  been  tried 
but,  so  far  as  can  be  learned,  it  is  much  infe- 
rior to  either  broken  stone  or  gravel.  This  is 
usually  because  the  ballast  partakes  too  much 
of  the  character  of  ordinary  building  brick 
and  is  too  little  uniform  in  hardness.  Even  the 
best  of  it  is  said  to  fracture  quite  easily.  How-  < 
ever,  where  stone  and  gravel  are  practically 
unobtainable  with  coal  and  clay  available,  burnt 
clay  is  probably  the  best  material  for  that 
part  of  the  country. 


76 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Broken 
stone. 


Stone 
quarries. 


It  is  not  by  any  means  an  universally  ac- 
cepted opinion  that  broken  stone  ballast  is  bet- 
ter than  gravel.  Many  engineers  believe  that 
the  greater  ease  with  which  gravel  may  be 
handled  more  than  compensates  for  the  lasting 
quality  of  stone,  but  it  seems  almost  certain  that 
for  roads  having  many  and  heavy  trains  nothing 
ill  the  end  is  so  good  as  clean  broken  stone. 

Stone  is  practically  indestructible  and  al- 
most immovable  when  once  placed  and  prop- 
erly tamped.  When  kept  clean  it  permits  of 
the  most  perfect  drainage,  and  when  it  be- 
comes foul,  may  be  cleaned  by  simply  hand- 
ling it  with  forks,  when  it  is  as  good  as  new. 
It  costs  more  to  prepare  a  track  with  stone 
ballast,  but  on  the  other  hand  costs  less  to 
maintain  it,  while  in  addition  it  is  probable 
that  the  ties  last  considerably  longer  in  stone 
than  they  do  in  gravel  ballast,  other  circum- 
stances being  the  same. 

There  are  two  general  ways  of  procuring 
stone  ballast,  the  first  of  which  is  for  the  rail- 
road company  to  own  and  operate  a  quarry 
and  crusher  ;  the  other  is  for  the  company  to 
buy  its  broken  stone  of  some  contractor  deliv- 
ered on  cars.  Each  way  has  its  special  ad- 
vantages, but  it  is  usually  more  satisfactory 
for  a  road  to  own  and  operate  its  quarry, 
since  it  will  then  have  a  supply  of  ballast 
under  all  contingencies. 

Quarries  differ  so  in  location  that  none  but 
the  most  general  description  of  the  best  wny 
of  operation  can  be  of  much  use.  The  crusher 
should  if  possible  be  placed  high  enough  to 
discharge  the  ballast  into  the  cars  by  gravity, 
and  far  enough  from  the  loading  track  to  per- 
mit of  placing  a  car  between  the  ballast  car 
and  the  crusher  to  receive  the  screenings.  The 
screenings  are  a  valuable  by-product  of  stone 
ballast  and  should  not  under  any  circumstances 


BALLAST.     77 

be  wasted.  For  certain  purposes  such  us  side- 
walks and  platforms  at  small  stations  they  are 
excellent,  but  they  should  be  excluded  from 
the  track  since  they  will  impair,  to  a  large 
extent,  the  drainage  capacity  of  the  ballast. 

Although  it  is  desirable  to  transmit  the  Conveyors, 
crushed  stone  directly  from  the  crusher  to  the 
cars  by  gravity,  a  good  quarry  need  not  be 
ignored  because  that  cannot  be  done.  The  art 
of  conveying  by  buckets,  which  are  filled  and 
dumped  automatically,  has  reached  a  high  state 
of  perfection,  and  material  may  now  be  trans- 
ported for  long  distances,  up,  down  and  around 
corners  without  the  interposition  of  a  single 
pair  of  hands  and  at  a  small  cost  of  operation. 

If  it  is  desired  to  supplement  the  supply  of 
stone  from  the  quarry,  by  stone  brought  from 
other  points,  a  track  may  be  carried  from  the 
level  of  the  main  track  up  to  the  top  and  back 
of  the  crusher,  by  means  of  which  the  stone 
may  be  conveniently  unloaded.  This  track 
should  gradually  descend  from  the  crusher 
until  it  meets  and  connects  with  the  track  on 
which  the  crushed  stone  is  loaded.  The  switch 
connected  with  this  may  be  automatic  and 
fitted  with  a  spring  so  that  when  the  car  de- 
scends from  the  top  of  the  crusher  it  will  of 
itself  set  the  switch  right,  and  the  spring  will 
replace  the  switch  to  that  position  which  will 
send  the  car  under  the  crusher  on  its  return 
journey.  The  tracks  running  under  the  dis- 
charge of  the  crusher  should  be  built  on  a 
grade  of  not  less  than  50  ft.  to  the  mile  so 
that  cars  may  be  moved  without  the  help  of 
an  engine. 

Stone  should  be  crushed  so  that  it  will  pass  size  of 
through   a  2  J  inch  ring  ;   anything  larger  is  8tone- 
too  large  for  good  track  work,  and  if  the  stone 
be  broken  smaller  the  percentage  of  screenings 
will  become  too  great.     Certain   flat  stones, 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


much  larger  than  tins  will  slip  through  the 
crusher,  and  these,  if  they  are  not  returned  to 
the  crusher  and  so  reduced  to  the  proper  di- 
mensions, must  be  broken  by  hand  after  the 
ballast  has  been  dumped  on  the  track ;  in  any 
event  every  section  gang  using  stone  ballast 
should  have  a  supply  of  napping  hammers. 

Of  crushers  there  are  two  general   types. 
The   "Kotary"  (fig.  53a)  consists  of  a  heavy 


FIG.  53a.— Rotary  Stone 
Crusher.     (Gates.) 


FIG.  53b.— Jaw  Stone 
Crusher. 


cast-iron  casing  which  has  a  conical  opening 
down  through  the  center.  In  this  opening  is 
supported  a  powerful,  solid,  corrugated  cone 
which  not  only  revolves  around  its  own  axis 
but  is  supported  at  the  bottom  by  an  eccen- 
tric which  also  revolves  and  forces  the  cone 
now  near  to  and  then  away  from  the  sides  of 
the  inner  casing.  The  stone  is  dumped  into 
the  top,  and  by  the  eccentric  motion  of  the 
solid  cone  is  gradually  broken  as  it  passes 
down  where,  at  the  bottom,  it  is  discharged 
from  the  chute,  of  the  proper  size. 

The  "Jaw"  crusher  is  shown  in  fig.  53b,  and 
operates  by  means  of  a  fixed  plate,  which  has 
opposed  to  it  another  plate  hinged  at  its  upper 
end  and  moved  at  the  lower  end  ;  this  alter- 
nately increases  and  diminishes  the  opening 
between  the  two  plates,  crushing  the  stone  in 
the  operation. 


BALLAST.     79 

Stone  ballast  should  never  be  placed  upon  New 
a  new  embankment,  for  it  Ayill  certainly  settle 
and  destroy  the  established  grade  ;  further,  if 
any  ballast  has  been  laid,  it  will  be  covered  by 
the  material  which  is  'used  to  bring  the  track 
up  to  the  proper  level.  The  use  of  stone  for 
this  purpose  is  too  expensive,  and  it  is  there- 
fore better  to  wait  until  the  track  has  settled 
before  stone  ballasting  is  begun.  The  sub- 
grade  should  be  made  of  the  full  width  and 
crowned  sufficiently  to  discharge  water  freely 
before  any  ballast  is  placed  upon  it. 

Stone  ballast  should  never  be  handled  on  Cleaning 
the  ground  with  anything  but  a  fork  (see  illus-  ballast- 
tration  in  chapter  on  tools)  which  will  not  pick 
up  dirt  and  can  be  pushed  into  the  ballast  with 
comparative  case.  A  screen  should  also  be 
provided  for  cleaning  the  stone  whenever  it  is 
taken  from  the  ties.  This  should  be  done  at 
intervals,  usually  of  about  three  years,  at 
which  periods  it  will  be  found  that  the  inter- 
stices between  the  stones  are  nearly,  if  not 
quite  filled  up  with  cinders. 

Although,  as  has  been  suggested,  stone  bal-  Gravel 
last  is  the  best  material  for  supporting  a  rail-  ballast- 
road  track  for  a  heavy  train  service,  clean 
coarse  gravel  is  a  thing  which  every  trackman 
should  think  himself  extremely  lucky  to  get. 
It  is  cheaper  than  stone,  easier  to  handle,  easier 
to  raise  tracks  with,  permits  of  fairly  good 
drainage  and,  through  its  use,  a  good  track 
may  be  secured, —  for  a  time.  Gravel  how- 
ever will  not  carry  the  water  off  so  fast  as 
broken  stone  and  it  cannot  be  successfully 
cleaned  except  by  an  expensive  process  of 
washing. 

The  gravel  pit  should  be  located  as  near  the  Gravel 
railroad  and  as  near  the  center  of  the  division  pits< 
to  be  ballasted  as  possible.     The  deeper  the 
cutting  in  good  material,  the  better,  in  order 


80 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Gravel 
pits. 


to  avoid  moving  tne  shovel  oftener  than  is 
absolutely  necessary,  while  the  pit  should  be 
as  long  as  possible  so  that  the  switching  engine 
may  handle  a  large  number  of  cars  at  one 
time.  There  should  also  be  plenty  of  room 
for  switching  tracks  so  that  the  loading  and 
distributing  trains  need  not  be  delayed  by 
waiting  for  each  other. 

The  cheapest  way  is  to  buy  the  land,  strip 
it  of  gravel  and  then  if  possible  sell  it ;  but  if 
that  plan  is  not  convenient  the  gravel  may  be 
paid  for  by  the  yard,  purchased  for  a  lump 
sum  to  be  removed  in  some  specified  time  or 
an  annual  rental  may  be  paid  for  the  land  with 
the  privilege  of  taking  out  as  much  or  as  little 
gravel  as  the  railroad  company  pleases.  In 
any  case  the  pit  must  be  carefully  stripped 
before  the  ballast  -is  removed  because  nothing 
is  worse  in  the  track  than  the  loam  which 
covers  most  gravel  deposits. 

If  much  work  is  to  be  done,  a  steam  shovel 
ing  gravel,  (figs.  54  and  55)  must  be  used  and  worked 
day  and  night  if  necessary,  for  in  these  days 
^of  ballast  plows  and  electric  or  gasoline  lights 
there  is  no  difficulty  in  loading  and  unloading 
ballast  at  night.  In  this  way  double  the  track 
force  can  be  worked  with  each  steam  shovel 
and  double  the  work  accomplished  with  each 
plant.  It'  the  road  is  poor  on  which  the  bal- 
lasting is  being  done,  much  may  be  accom- 
plished in  having  the  cars  unloaded  by  way 
freights.  The  cable  may  be  left,  each  time  it 
is  used,  at  the  end  of  the  dump,  ready  for  the 
next  day's  work,  and  the  unloaded  cars  may 
be  switched  on  to  some  convenient  side  track 
to  be  returned  to  the  pit  by  the  next  freight 
going  in  that  direction.  If,  however,  a  great 
deal  of  work  is  to  be  done,  a  sufficient  number 
of  trains  should  be  assigned  to  the  service, 
well  manned  by  intelligent  trainhancls  and 


Distribut- 


BALLAST.     81 


equipped  with  good  engines,  suitable  cars  and 
special  appliances  for  unloading  the  ballast. 
The  engines  particularly  should  be  reliable 
and  able  to  haul  a  full  train  without  breakino- 

t5 

down.  It  has  been  a  common  idea  that  any 
old  engine,  out  of  repair  and  almost  ready  for 
the  scrap-heap,  is  good  enough  for  maintenanee- 


FIG.  54.— Sixty-ton  Steam  Shovel. 
(By  the  Bucyrus  Company.) 


FIG.  55. — A  Steam  Shovel,  showing  interior  of  cabin. 

of- way  service,  but  if  the  cost  of  the  delay 
that  is  caused  by  breaking  down  at  inconven- 
ient times  were  considered,  it  is  certain  that  a 
considerable  economy  would  result  from  the 
use  of  reliable  motive  power  in  this  service. 
No  simple  delay  of  any  train  is  so  costly  to  a 
railroad  as  the  delay  of  a  work  train. 

The  steam  shovel  (figs.  54  and  55)  should  be  steam 
able  to  move  itself  forward  without  the  use  of  shovel- 


82  THE  NEW  Ro  ADM  ASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

a  rope  and  should  *  have  a  long  reach.  It 
should  be  carefully  and  regularly  inspected, 
and  any  little  damage  should  be  promptly  re- 
paired. Six  or  eight  men,  besides  the  engine- 
man,  will  be  necessary  in  attendance  on  the 
shovel,  whose  duties  will  be  the  poling  down 
of  the  ballast,  and  the  laying  of  track  for  the 
shovel. 

Baiiast  Aii  unloading  plow  is  now  a  necessity  to 

every  railroad,  and  one  which  uses  stakes  on 
the  side  of  a  flat  car  for  guiding  the  plow  as 
in  fi<r.  50  instead  of  the  old-fashioned  center 


FIG.  56.—  Barnhart  Ballast  Plow. 

strip,  is  the  best.  The  center  strip  is  not  only 
an  expense  but  an  inconvenience  because  it 
unfits  the  car  for  certain  kinds  of  freight,  and 
*when  required  for  ballast  is  often  not  present. 
When  side  stakes  only  are  necessary,  any  flat 
car  may  be  taken  from  its  regular  service  and 
placed  at  once  in  the  ballast  train.  If  the 
brake-  wheels  are  on  the  ends  they  must  first  be 
changed  to  the  sides  in  any  case. 
Unloading  Three  kinds  of  unloading  arrangements  are 

methods.       ghown    in  fig    5?  t()  62>       ju   fi       5?  a    form  of 


hoisting  engine  (which  however  exerts  in  this 
case  a  horizontal  pull)  is  mounted  on  a  flat  car 
and  receives  its  steam  directly  from  the  loco- 
motive. It  is  said  to  be  able  to  unload  any 
material  which  could  be  used  for  ballast  or  be 
taken  from  a  ditch  or  cutting.  From  the  fact 
that  the  unloading  device  is  independent  of 
the  locomotive,  the  plow  may  be  moving  in 


BALLAST.     83 


Ballast 

un  loader. 


84  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

Baiiast        one  direction  while  the  train  is  moving  in  the 
cars.  opposite  direction'  making  it  possible  to  have 

the  ballast  distributed  between  the  extremes, 
of  all  in  one  place,  or  in  a  thin  sheet  over  a 
long  piece  of  track.  The  method  illustrated 
in  fisrs.  58  and  59  involves  the  use  of  a  train 

O 

of  bottom-dump  cars  (fig.  58)  which  are  fol- 
lowed by  a  plow  (fig.  59)  for  clearing  the 
track  of  the  ballast. 


FIG.  58.— Rodger  Ballast  Car. 


1 


FIG.  59.— Rodger  Plow  Car. 

Figs.  60,  61  and  62  illustrate  an  all-steel  car 
which  dumps  in  several  different  ways  by  means 
of  the  inclined  sides  which  are  hinged  at  the 


FIG.  60.— Goodwin  Dump  Car.     Side  View. 


BALLAST.     85 


FIG.  61. — Goodwin  Dump  Car.     Sectional  View. 


FIG.  62.— Goodwin  Dump  Car.     End  View. 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

top,  and  by  valves  (traps)  in  the  bottom  of  the 
car  and  running  its  whole  length.  The  dump- 
ing is  done  by  compressed  air  or  by  a  hand- 
lever  located  on  the  end  platform.  This  car 
will  discharge  half  its  load  on  one  side  and 
half  on  the  other  ;  half  in  the  center  and  half 
on  the  outside  ;  all  on  one  side  or  all  in  the 
center  as  is  desired  by  the  operator.  The 
changes  are  accomplished  by  the  simple  move- 
ment of  a  lever,  and  the  operation  of  dump- 
ing occupies  but  a  second  or  two. 

In  re-ballasting  long  stretches  of  road,  the 
track  is  usually  found  full  of  small  sags  and 
hills,  which  frequently  cause  the  breaking  in 
two  of  trains  and  largely  increase  the  cost  of 
hauling.  The  opportunity  should  then  bo 
taken  of  re-establishing  the  original,  or  a  bet- 
ter, grade.  For  this  purpose,  levels  should  be 
run  on  the  rail  and  after  a  careful  inspection 
of  the  profile,  grade  stakes  should  be  set  for 
the  guidance  of  the  trackmen.  It  is  surpris- 
ing what  good  results  at  small  cost  can  be 
secured  by  a  little  care  and  forethought  in 
this  matter.  The  alinement  of  the  track  may 
lilso  be  corrected  at  this  time  better  than  at 
any  other,  particularly  on  bad  curves  and  long 
tangents. 

In  certain  spots  on  nearly  all  railroads  the 
usual  amount  of  ballast  will  not  stop  heaving 
even  when  the  road  is  properly  drained  ;  these 
spots  or  "pockets"  may  be  dug  out  and  filled 
in  with  gravel  or  a  special  line  of  tile  may  be 
laid  from  them  to  the  ditch,  while  in  extreme 
cases  a  recourse  may  be  necessary  to  both 
plans. 

Not  less  than  8  in.  of  ballast  should  be 
placed  under  the  ties,  and  the  more  there  is, 
the  better  the  track  will  be,  although  for  prac- 
tical purposes  12  in.  is  sufficient.  An  inspec- 
tion of  figs.  63,  64  and  65,  which  are  the  bal- 


BALLAST. 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


BALLAST.     89 


90  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

Ballast        last  sections  of  three  great  railroads,  will  show 
sections.     .^   diversity  of  practice.     It  is  not  the  inten- 
tion of  the  writer  to  judge  between  them,  but 
the  attention  of  readers  is  called  to  the  full 
and  generous  lines  of  the  gravel  section  on 
fig.  65  ;  these  seem  to  promise  a  greater  sta- 
bility than  where  the  material  begins  to  slope 
from  the  rail  or  from  the  center  of  the  track. 
Ballast  In  fig.   66   is  shown  what  is  probably  the 

average  of  all  practice  as  regards  the  top  and 
side  lines  of  the  ballast,  wherein  the  portion 
of  each  section  on  the  left  represents  stone, 
and  that  on  the  right,  gravel.  In  this  case, 
however,  the  sub-grade  of  the  double  track 
differs  from  the  ordinary  types,  in  that  the 
drainage  is  made  to  simulate  that  of  single 
track  by  sloping  its  top  at  a  grade  of  25  to  1 
in  each  direction  from  the  center  of  the  ties. 
The  water  between  the  tracks  is  then  collected 
by  a  line  of  6  in.  tile  having  open  joints,  which 
is  tapped  at  right  angles  every  100  ft.  by  cross 
lines  of  3-in.  tiles  with  closed  joints.  Some- 
thing of  this  sort  is  quite  common  in  Europe 
and  might  well  be  used  here,  where  perfection 
*is  the  aim. 

Track  !  Some  form   of  track  jack,   of  which  there 

jacks.  ,ire  several  good  ones,  should  always  be  used 
in  raising  track.  The  jack  should  be  strong, 
but  light  enough  to  be  moved  short  distances 
by  one  man,  and  when  in  use  should  never  be 
placed  between  the  rails.  At  least  one  fearful, 
accident  has  occurred  through  the  carelessness 
of  a  trackman  who  left  the  jack  under  the  rail 
where  a  train  struck  it  and  was  derailed,  caus- 
ing the  injury  and  death  of  a  large  number  of 
people  ;  a  sufficiently  strong  incident  to  show 
the  results  of  carelessness  on  a  railroad. 

The  jacks  shown  in  figs.  67,  68,  69  and  70 
are  of  the  prevailing  form  and  are  all  of 
well-known  make.  Figs.  71,  72  and  73  rep- 


BALLAST.     91 


T 


Ballast 
sections. 


92  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT, 


Track 
jacks. 


FIG.  67.— Jenne  Track  Jack. 


FIG.  68.— Barrett  Track  and  Bridge  Jack. 
(The  Duff  Mfg.  Co.) 


FIG.  69.— Barrett  Trip  Track  Jack. 
(The  Duff  Mfg.  Co.) 


BALLAST. 


Track 
jacks. 


FIG.  70,  — Boyer  &  Radford  Track  Jack. 


FIG.  71. 


FIG.  72. 


94  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Track 
jacks. 


FIG.  73. 
FIGS.  71,  72  and  73.— Track  Jacks  for  use  Under  the  Rail. 

resent  the  effort  to  reduce  the  jack  to  such  a 
height  that  none  of  it  will  be  above  the  rail. 
This  is  laudable  so  far  as  it  goes,  but  is  objec- 
tionable because  it  may  lead  to  carelessness 
through  the  notion  of  some  trackman  that  a 
jack  is  strong  enough  to  support  a  train. 
Raising  Great  care  must  be  taken  in  raising  track, 

track.         |o  nave  caution  signs  located  or  flagmen  sent 
out  a  sufficient  distance  from  where  the  work 
*is  going  on  to  enable  trains  to  reduce  their 
speed. 


CHAPTER   IX. 
CROSS  TIES. 

The  proper  selection,  inspection  and  dis- 
tribution  of  cross  ties  is  one  of  the  important tion- 
duties  of  a  roadmaster,  since  in  this  matter  he 
comes  more  in  contact  with  those  persons  who 
have  something  to  sell  than  in  any  other  way. 
All  sorts  of  tricks  are  practiced  to  conceal  de- 
fects in  the  material ;  red  oak  passes  as  first- 
class  white  oak,  ties  are  piled  in  such  a  way 
as  to  show  only  those  parts  which  are  up  to 
the  specifications  etc.  A  roadmaster  should 
therefore  be  forever  on  his  guard  against  such 
possibilities. 

Where  ties  are  bought  along  the  line,  a  cer-  Date  of 
tain  time  in  each  month  should  be  taken  for 
inspecting  and  counting  them.  This  gives  the 
dealers  a  chance  to  be  present  when  their  ties 
are  counted  and  enables  the  roadmaster  to 
settle  almost  all  questions  and  disputes,  (some 
of  which  are  sure  to  arise)  without  wasting 
time  and  with  very  little  trouble.  All  ties 
should  be  plainly  and  indelibly  marked  on  one 
end  with  paint  or  a  stamp,  when  they  are  in- 
spected, in  such  a  way  as  to  make  it  impossible 
for  them  to  be  presented  a  second  time,  and  to 
facilitate  the  work  of  inspection  they  should 
be  piled  in  alternate  layers  at  right  angles  to 
each  other,  with  a  space  of  6  or  8  inches  be- 
tween each  two  ties  of  the  same  layer.  It  is 
well  to  distribute  the  ties  as  soon  as  possible 
after  inspection,  and  dealers  should  be  required 
to  remove  all  their  rejected  ties  from  the  right- 
of-way  within  a  stated  time. 


96 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Size  and 
quality. 


Sawed  or 
hewed. 


The  ordinary  dimensions  for  cross  ties  are 
6  in.  x  8  in.  x  8J  ft.,  and  they  should  not  be 
less  but  may  properly  be  increased  to  7  in.  x  9 
in.  x  8^  ft.  They  must  be  of  perfectly  sound 
material  and  only  one .  tie  should  be  cut  from 
a  section  of  a  tree.  This  latter  practice  in- 
sures the  fact  that  the  timber  is  young  and  of 
second  growth.  It  is  best  that  all  ties  shall  be 
cleared  of  bark  before  they  are  paid  for  by 
the  railroad  company  but  in  order  that  the 
inspection  may  be  reliable,  the  bark  of  white 
oak  must  be  left  on  until  after  the  inspection. 
When  the  ties  are  shipped  from  a  distance  this 
arrangement  may  iiot  be  convenient  but  it  may 
nearly  always  be  managed  by  an  agreement 
with  the  contractor  and  should  be  if  it  is  a 
possible  thing. 

If  the  ties  arc  hewed,  they  must  be  dressed 
with  the  faces  parallel,  for  a  warped  tie  will 
surely  make  bad  track.  A  prejudice  against 
sawed  ties  exists  which  is  to  a  large  extent 
founded  on  the  belief  that  a  sawed  tie  will  not 
last  so  long  as  a  hewed  tie  taken  from  the 
same  tree.  This  is  probably  not  true.  The 
'reason  that  sawed  ties  do  not  as  a  rule  last  so 
long  as  hewed  ties  is  that  they  are  frequently 
cut  from  large  (and  that  often  means  old) 
timber,  which  has  already  survived  its  useful- 
ness. The  same  objection  exists  with  regard 
to  split  ties  and  on  the  other  hand  is  impossible 
in  the  case  of  hewed  pole  ties.  Sawed  ties, 
which  are  surely  known  to  have  been  cut  from 
young,  vigorous  timber  are  perfectly  fitted  for 
the  main  track,  while  at  switches  or  frogs, 
on  bridges  and  in  all  places  where  the  ties 
are  laid  upon  stringers,  no  hewed  ties  should 
be  used  since  their  surfaces  are  neither  flat  nor 
parallel. 

It  is  well,  in  any  case,  to  purchase  a  certain 
proportion  of  sawed  or  split  ties  at  a  reduced 


CROSS  TIES.     97 

price  for  use  in  side-tracks,  as  they  will  do 
quite  as  well  for  that  purpose,  and  it  will  prob- 
ably tend  to  lessen  the  cost  of  first-class  ties 
by  permitting  the  farmers  and  dealers  to  make 
use  of  timber  which  would  otherwise  prove  a 
loss. 

Where    it    is    possible    to    require    it,   ties  Time  for 
should  be  cut  in  the  middle  of  summer  or  in  cuttin&- 
winter,  at  which  times  the  sap  is  not  in  motion. 
The  winter  is  the  best  time,  since  then  they 
may  be    distributed  exactly  where    they  are 
wanted  before   the  spring  work  begins.     By 
this  practice,   a  time  of  the  year  is  utilized 
during  which   little  else  can  be  done  and  the 
way  is  prepared  for  the  rapid  placing  of  the 
ties  in  the  track  as  soon  as  the  season  permits. 

Next  to  white  oak,  which  combines  the  qual-  Tie  timber. 
ities  of  holding  a  spike  and  resisting  decay 
longer  than  any  other  timber  that  we  have  in 
common  use,  chestnut,  yellow  pine  and  black 
and  red  cypress  are  probably  the  best,  but  are 
closely  followed  by  cedar,  tamarac,  and  in  the 
far  western  States,  redwood. 

The  supply  of  white  oak  fit  for  cross  ties  is 
nearly  exhausted  in  the  northern  States,  and 
the  larger  roads  now  procure  many  hundreds 
of  thousands  a  year  from  Virginia,  West  Vir- 
ginian, Kentucky  and  some  of  the  other  south- 
ern States. 

The  probable  annual  rate  of  steam  and  Tie  plates, 
electric  railroad  building  in  the  United  States 
will  draw  still  further  on  a  rapidly  decreasing 
supply,  both  for  the  construction  of  new  roads 
and  their  maintenance  after  they  are  built. 
It  is  therefore  of  great  importance  that  some 
means  shall  be  taken  to  lengthen  the  life  of 
ties,  not  only  because  there  is  real  danger  of 
exhausting  the  supply  but  because  of  the 
direct  economy  which  will  follow  their  in- 
creased service.  It  may  be  extended  consider- 


98  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

Tie  plates,  ably  by  the  use  of  a  tie  plate  of  the  type 
known  as  the  "  Servis "  (fig.  74),  a  device 
which  long  since  passed  the  experimental 


FIG.  74.— Servis  Tie  Plate. 

stage.  In  this  form,  the  plate  is  made  from 
a  piece  of  steel  whose  longitudinal^  outside 
edges  are  sharpened  and  bent  downwards  at 
right  angles.  Sometimes  intermediate  ribs 
and  a  rail  brace  are  added,  but  these  are  not 
essential  and  it  is  quite  doubtful  if  they 
increase  the  value  of  the  plate ;  they  are 
shown  Us  dotted  lines  in  fig.  74.  The  first 
pbject  of  the  tie  plate  was  to  preserve  the  tie 
from  the  pounding  and  crushing  effect  of  the 
rail,  but  time  developed  other  qualities  of  al- 
most equal  value.  The  lateral  strength  of  the 
track  was  much  increased  by  the  support  which 
the  plate  offered  to  the  spike.  It  is  of  course 
on  curves  that  this  action  is  most  plainly  seen, 
but  even  on  tangents  it  may  be  noticed,  par- 
ticularly where  track  is  not  maintained  in 
good  surface.  Simple  as  it  is,  this  little  piece 
of  metal  has  rendered  immense  benefits  to  the 
railroads  of  the  United  States.  Tic  plates  of 
flat  metal  had  been  tried  mmry  times  but  they 
failed  in  every  case,  either  because  they  wore 
too  thin  and  buckled,  or  because  they  were 
too  thick  and  acted  as  anvils  ;  and  in  either 
they  Avere  loose  and  permitted  abrasion  of  ties 


CROSS  TIES.     99 

and  spikes.  It  is  the  longitudinal  ribs  which 
give  the  plate  value. 

Some  wood-preserving  process,  such  as  creo-  Wood 
sotino-.  will  probably  become  a  necessity  and,  preserving 

p'  i.  -i   ,  T  i  process. 

it  is  believed  by  many,  would  prove  an  econo- 
my even  now.  There  is  some  uncertainty  as 
to  how  much  the  lite  of  a  tie  would  be  pro- 
longed by  this  process,  but  from  European  and 
American  experience  it  is  probable  that  instead 
of  having  to  renew  all  of  the  ties  in  the  main 
track  every  seven  or  eight  years,  it  would  be 
necessary  to  do  so  only  once  in  every  fifteen 
years  or  even  more.  The  saving  resulting 
from  this  would  be  greater  than  is  apparent, 
not  only  in  the  price  of  the  ties,  but  in  all  the 
labor  of  inspecting,  distributing  and  of  put- 
ting them  in,  as  well  as  from  having  to  disturb 
the  track  so  infrequently,  a  reason  which  every 
trackman  will  appreciate.  In  Europe,  where 
timber  is  much  scarcer  than  here,  creosoted 
ties  have  been  for  many  years  in  common  use 
and  are  giving,  on  the  whole,  the  best  results.* 

Iron  and  steel  ties  have  also  been  used  exten-  Metal  ties. 
sively  in  Europe,  and  in  this  country  to  a  very 
1  imited  extent.  There  are  many  forms  of  metal 
ties,  each  of  which  claims  to  have  special  ad-  » 
vantages  over  all  others,  and  several  of  which 
resemble  each  other  closely,  so  that  if  their 
use  is  decided  upon  a  choice  should  not  be 
difficult.  There  are  a  fe\v  situations,  as  in  busy 
tunnels,  where  it  is  possible  that  their  use  is 
warranted  even  at  their  present  cost,  for  they 
may  be  expected  to  last  as  long  as  the  rails. 

In    fig.    75    are    shown    two   typical   forms 
of  metal  ties.     Each  of  them  is  made  from  a 


*  Bulletin  Xo.  9,  of  the  Forestry  Division,  United  States  De- 
partment of  Agriculture,  gives  an  account  of  this  question  to- 
gether with  that  of  tie  plates  and  of  metal  ties  which  should  be 
read  by  every  maintenance-of-way  officer.  It  can  be  procured 
by  an  application  to  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture,  Washington, 


100 


THE  NEW  Ro  ADM  ASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Metal  ties,  thin  sheet  of  iron  or  steel,  rolled  or  pressed  into 
shape,  and  the  rail  is  held  to  them  usually  by 
a  clip,  bolt  and  nut,  as  in  fig.  76,  although  as 


SECTION    AT    C-D 


FIG.  75.— Two  Forms  of  Metal  Ties. 


explained  below,  the  sheets  of  fibre  which  sur- 
round the  rail  are  only  used  under  exceptional 
conditions. 

Tie  insuia-       Where  metal  ties  are  used  in  conjunction 
with  the  electric  track  circuit  (see  Chapters  IV 


tion. 


Sectional  View. 

FIG.  76.— Method  of  Fastening  the  Rail  to  a  Metal  Tie,  with  a, 
Fibre  Insulation. 


CROSS  TIES.     101 

and  XV),  it  is  necessary  to  prevent  the  electric  Tie  insuia- 
current  from  passing  from  one  rail  to  another  tion> 
by  means  of  the  cross  ties.     This  can  only  be 
done  by  some  method  of  insulation.     Fig.  76 
illustrates   one   of  the  methods.      Here  there 
are  some  fibrous  sheets  interposed  between  the- 
rail  and  all  of  the  surrounding  metal ;    since 
the  fibre  is  a  non-conductor  of  electricity,  the 
rail  becomes  what  is  called  "insulated." 

A  certain  side  of  the  track  should  be  fixed  Lining 
upon  for  lining  the  ties,  if  the  road  is  single  tieSt 
track.     On  a  double  track  road  the  ties  should 
be  lined  always  on  the  outside  of  the  track 
except  on  curves  where  they  should  always  be 
lined  on  the  inside  of  the  curves. 

The  track  jack  should  be  used  as  much  as  Track 
possible  for  putting  in  ties,  since  it  saves  the  iacks> 
labor  of  a  man  who  would  otherwise  be  en- 
gaged in  holding  up  a  tie  for  another  man  to 
tamp.      It  should  be  particularly  provoking  to 
an  ambitious  roadmaster  to  go  over  his  track 
and  see   men  on  every  section  lazily  roosting 
on  a  crowbar. 

Late  in  the  fall  the  roadmaster  should,    in  counting 
the  company  of  each  section  foreman,  make  tfes' 
a  careful  examination  of  his  track  for  the  pur- 
pose  of   ascertaining    the   number,   kind  and 
location   of   the  ties  which  must  be  renewed 
during  the    next  year.     When  this  location  is 
known  the  new  ties  can  be  distributed  at  any 
time  during  the  winter. 

Unfortunately,  ties  in  any  section   of  track  Entire 
do  not   all  decay  together.     The  practice  of removal- 
removing  all  at  once,  quite  desirable  on  some 
accounts,    may  easily  result  in  serious  waste  ; 
and   in   this   connection  it  should  be  remem- 
bered   that    ties   made   from    different    kinds 
of  wood   should  not  be  mixed  in  the  track, 
since  they  will  decay  in  different  lengths  of 
time. 


102  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

spacing  On  main  track,  from  fourteen  to  sixteen  ties, 

ties.  depending  on  their  size,  should  be  laid  under 

a  thirty-foot  rail,  and  on  side  track  from  eleven 
to  thirteen  ties.  If  the  ties  are  large  there 
will  be  less  than  this  number,  and  if  they  are 
small  there  will  be  more.  They  should  be 
evenly  spaced  with  reference  to  their  bearing 
edges  (not  their  centers)  and  sufficient  room 
for  tamping  should  be  left  between  each  two 
ties.  For  joint  ties  in  main  track  this  distance 
should  be  from  eight  to  ten  inches,  not  more, 
and  for  intermediate  ties  from  ten  to  fourteen 
inches.  The  largest  ties  should  be  reserved 
for  placing  under  the  joints. 

Tamping  Ties  should  be  tamped  hard  at  the  ends  and 
for  about  a  foot  inside  the  rails,  but  in  the 
^  middle  less  tamping  should  be  done  ;  just. 
enough  to  solidify  the  earth  and  hold  the  end 
tamping  in  place.  The  shocks  to  which  a  tic 
is  subjected,  all  come  under  the  rail  at  which 
point  the  tie  will  first  settle.  If  the  tie  is 
tamped  hard  in  the  middle,  it,  in  time,  becomes 
center-bound  and  rocks,  which  is  bad  for  the 
track,  and  disagreeable  to  the  passengers. 
Neither  should  ties  be  tamped  too  high  at  the 
joints  in  the  expectation  that  they  will  gradually 
settle  down  to  the  proper  level  of  the  track. 
A  joint  which  is  too  high  is  as  injurious  to 
the  rail,  and  has  as  bad  an  effect  on  the  train 
as  a  low  joint. 

Time  to  As  has  been  said  in  a  previous  chapter,  the 

renew.  work  of  putting  in  ties  should  be  commenced 
in  the  spring  as  soon  as  the  most  important 
of  the  ditching  has  been  completed,  and  ought, 
if  it  is  a  possible  thing,  to  be  finished  by  the 
first  of  July.  This  is  a  rule  which  cannot  be 
too  strongly  insisted  upon. 

Disposal  of       After  the  decayed  ties  have  been  taken  from 

tiesyCd      ^ne  track  they  should  be  disposed  of  promptly 

and  not  be  left  to  disfigure  the  right-of-way. 


CROSS  TIES.     103 

They  may  be  burned  on  the  spot,  taken  to  the  Disposal  of 
nearest  engine-house  to  be  used  for  starting  fires  J^ayed 
in  the  locomotives,  or  the  people  living  in  the 
neighborhood  may  be  permitted  to  haul  them 
away,  but  before  they  are  disposed  of  in  any 
way  they  must  have  been  carefully  inspected 
by  the  roadmaster.  This  should  never  be 
omitted,  since  it  is  the  only  possible  means  of 
checking  the  care  with  which  the  section  fore- 
men select  the  ties  for  removal.  It  is  of  course 
best  to  utilize  them  if  possible,  and  there  are 
many  ways  in  which  to  do  it.  They  make 
good  temporary  retaining  walls  when  placed 
ends  into  the  bank,  and  if  laid  side  by  side 
across  very  muddy  roads  form  a  good  substi- 
tute for  "corduroy."  If  no  better  use  pre- 
sents itself,  they  can  be  piled-  around  stumps 
and  burned,  thus  -'killing  two  birds  with 
one  stone."  In  any  event,  they  should  not 
be  left  scattered  along  the  track  but  should 
be  gathered  into  neat  piles  at  the  close  of 
each  day's  work. 

In  yards,  in  the  neighborhood  of  switches,  Useofpegs, 
or  where  the  track  heaves,  cross  ties  are  often 
rapidly  destroyed  by  the  frequent  drawing  and 
re-driving  of  spikes  which,  each  time  it  is  clone, 
leaves  an  opening  for  the  water  to  settle  in  and 
exposes  the  center  of  the  tie  to  decay.  To 
prevent  this,  a  supply  of  pegs  a  little  larger 
than  a  spike,  should  be  kept  on  hand  for  filling 
these  holes  and  should  be  used  invariably  where 
a  spike  is  drawn  from  a  tie  which  is  to  remain 
in  the  track.  The  pegs  are  best  made  by 
machinery,  but  if  the  supply  should  become  /£ 
exhausted  they  may  be  split  out  of  good  tim- 
ber at  the  hand-car  house  on  rainy  days.  The 
practice  of  driving  a  pick  into  a  tie  on  any 
and  every  occasion  for  testing  or  moving  it  is 
a  bad  one.  It  makes  a  hole  in  which  Avater 
will  settle  and  start  a  center  of  decay.  If  it  is 


104 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Shims. 


Spiking 
ties. 


Level  and 

gage. 


ever  really  necessary*  to  pick  a  tie,  a  sound 
peg  should  be  driven  tightly  into  the  hole  and 
cut,  not  broken  off  at  the  surface. 

Shimming  is  a  makeshift  at  the  best  and 
is  apt  to  be  greatly  overdone,  often  to  a 
dangerous  extent.  It  is  almost  entirely  due 
to  bad  drainage,  and  to  correct  this  is  the 
only  proper  course.  If,  however,  circum- 
stances require  shims  let  them  be  made  and 
used  in  the  right  way.  Hard  wood  is  the 
only  suitable  material  from  which  to  make 
shims,  white  oak  preferably,  and  they  should 
be  sawed  and  bored  by  machinery  ;  they  then 
are  of  the  best  form  and  cost  the  least  money. 
Those  more  than  an  inch  and  less  than  two 
inches  in  thickness  should  have  four  holes, 
two  for  the  rail  spikes  and  two  for  spiking  the 
shim  to  the  tie.  All  shims  more  than  two 
inches  thick  should  have  the  ends  beveled  with 
two  holes  bored  in  each  end  for  spiking  them 
to  the  tie.  For  this  purpose,  long  boat-spikes 
should  be  used. 

In  spiking  ties  the  arrangement  of  the  spikes 
should  be  invariably  as  shown  on  fig.  121,  will) 
both  inside  spikes  on  the  same  side  of  the  tie 
and  with  both  butside  spikes  on  the  other  side 
of  the  tie.  If  the  spiking  is  done  in  any  other 
way  the  tie  will  twist  instead  of  remaining 
always  at  right  angles  to  the  rail.  Although 
apparently  a  small  matter  this  is  really  of  much 
importance.  Driving  spikes  properly  requires 
some  skill  and  is  more  often  badly  than  well 
done.  The  gage  should  always  be  used  and 
the  spike  stood  up  straight  beside  the  rail  and 
touching  it,  then  driven  down  straight,  not 
leaned  in  either  direction  to  suit  the  conven- 
ience of  the  trackman. 

Any  work  which  tends  to  disturb  the  ballast 
of  track  should  be  performed  with  the  assist- 
ance of  a  track  level,  and  the  work  of  putting 


CROSS  TIES.     105 

in  ties  should  prove  no  exception  to  this  rule.  Track 
The  level  should  be  moved  from  place  to  place  Ievels- 
where  the  men  are  tamping  and  no  track  should 
be  considered  finished  until  it  has  been  finally 
tested  with  the  level  and  gage  and  is  known 
to  be  right. 


CHAPTER  X. 
RAILS  AND  FASTENINGS. 

Many  of  the  details  of  track  have  been  Recent 
greatly  modified  during  the  last  few  years,  chan»es- 
particularly  as  to  the  form  of  the  rail  and  to 
those  parts  which  have  to  do  with  holding  the 
rails  together.  The  simple  fish-plate  has  prac- 
tically disappeared  except  for  side  tracks ;  the 
six-hole  angle  bar  is  driving  out  the  four-hole 
angle-bar,  and  some  form  of  trussed  or  bridge 
joint  may  take  the  place  of  the  six-hole  angle- 
bar.  The  iron  rails  are  already  a  thing  of  the 
past,  except  for  scrap,  and  at  the  present  time 
if  any  railroad  company  could  be  found  to  pur- 
chase them  they  would  cost  more  than  those 
made  from  the  best  steel. 

The  form  of  the  rail  itself  has  undergone  a  Early 
radical    change    during   the    last    ten    years,  r 
brought  about  by  a  great  many,  and  at  the 
time,    largely    unaccountable    failures,    which 
attracted  the  attention  of  railroad  engineers, 
rail  makers  and  inspectors,  and  resulted  in  a 
careful    and    accurate    investigation    into    the 
causes  of  the  trouble. 

Speaking  in  general  terms,  this  investigation 
showed  that  the  form  of  the  rail  was  largely 
at  fault.  Through  defects  in  design,  the  rail 
makers  were  forced  to  finish  it  too  hot,  result- 
ing in  a  rail  the  head  of  which  had  been 
insufficiently  worked  and,  what  was  still  worse, 
received  its  last  working  at  a  high  heat.  The 
same  faulty  design  caused  the  rail  to  cool 
quicker  in  the  head  than  in  the  flange,  which 
made  it  difficult  to  finish  it  straight,  and  gave 
rise  to  internal  strains. 


108 

Rail  Ac- 
tions. 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

The  present  most 'approved  form  is  illus- 
trated below  in  fig.  77,  and  is  the  section  of  an 
eighty-pound  rail  now  in  use  on  some  of  the 
most  important  railroads  in  the  country.  This 


FIG.  77.— Typical  80-lb.  Rail. 

section  has  been  developed  from  the  labors  of 
P.  H.  Dudley,  long  identified  with  the  improve- 
ment in  track  on  the  New  York  Central  & 
Hudson  River,  Boston  &  Albany,  and  other 
railroads,  together  with  the  efforts  and  inves- 
tipitions  of  Messrs.  Robert  "VV.  Hunt,  J.  D. 
Hawks  and  D.  J.  Whittemore,  aided  by  several 
others,  members  of  the  American  Society  of 
Civil  Engineers.  This  society  has  now  put  its 
stamp  of  approval  upon  the  general  form  of 
rail  urged  by  these  gentlemen,  and  there  seems 
little  likelihood  of  a  return  to  the  old  hit-or- 
miss  practice. 

The  aim  of  the  new  section  is  to  secure  the 
best  possible  distribution  of  the  metal,  in  order 
to  correct  the  troubles  which  experience  has 
developed.  For  the  purpose  of  comparison 
an  eighty-pound  rail  (fig.  78),  designed  in  1887, 
is  illustrated,  and  in  fig.  79  the  two  first  sec- 
tions are  superposed  ;  ^hey  show  quite  plainly 
the  difference  between  what  was  commonly 


RAILS  AND  FASTENINGS. 


considered  a  very  good   section  in   1887    and  *all8ec" 
that  which  conforms  closely  to  the  best  pres-  * 
ent    practice.       The    most    important    differ- 
ence is  in  the  general  form,  which  has  been 


FIG.  78.—  80-lb.  Rail  of  1887. 


FIG.  79. — Comparison  of  Figs.  77  and  78. 

made  higher  in  proportion  to  weight ;  the 
web  has  been  thickened  and  increased  in  length 
while  the  head  is  much  thinner  with  both  base 
and  head  wider  than  formerly.  The  increase 
in  the  height  of  the  rail  has  greatly  strength- 
ened it  as  a  girder,  and  the  increased  width  in 


110 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Composi- 
tion. 


Rolling. 


Spik< 


the  head  has  provided  a  larger  surface  for 
carrying  the  heavy  modern  rolling  stock  which 
rapidly  destroys  the  earlier  forms  of  rail  by 
literally  squeezing  the  metal  from  the  top  of 
the  narrower  heads. 

Rails  are  now  being  made  much  harder  than 
was  usual  in  the  past,  since  instead  of  contain- 
ing but  0.25  or  0.30  per  cent,  of  carbon,  they 
often  have  0.55  or  0.60  per  cent,  and  the 
tendency  is  to  still  increase.  It  is  not  decided 
as  to  what  is  just  the  proper  quantity  of  car- 
bon in  order  to  secure  the  most  efficient  com- 
bination of  hardness,  toughness  and  elasticity, 
for  it  must  be  understood  that,  speaking  in  a 
general  way,  the  greater  the  percentage  of 
hardening  elements,  the  more  brittle  the  metal. 

It  will  be  seen  by  a  comparison  of  figs.  77 
and  78,  that  the  relative  quantities  of  metal 
in  the  head,  the  web  and  the  base  of  each  sec- 
tion are  much  more  nearly  equal  in  the  former 
than  in  the  latter.  This  has  rendered  it  pos- 
sible to  roll  the  rails  at  a  much  lower  temper- 
ature than  could  be  done  when  such  forms  as 
ijg.  78  prevailed.  As  a  consequence  the  dens- 
ity, toughness  and  reliability  of  the  metal 
have  been  greatly  increased. 

There  are  many  forms  of  spikes,  varying 
slightly  from  each  other,  but  no  one  form  seems 
to  have  gone  far  toward  superseding  the  old- 
fashioned  spike.  The  lag  screw  (fig.  80)  (in 
the  opinion  of  many  trackmen),  in  connection 
with  a  clip  to  hold  the  rail  down,  as  in  fig.  112, 
is  likely  to  supersede  the  driven  spike,  and 
other  persons  just  as  well  informed  regard  it 
already  as  a  demonstrated  failure.  Fig.  81  is 
the  same  as  fig.  82,  but  twisted  mid  with  a 
sharp  point.  Fig.  82  is  the  common  -fain. 
by  5|-in.  spike  ;  figs.  83  and  84  are  modifica- 
tions of  fig.  82,  while  fig.  85  is  quite  different 
since  it  is  intended  to  be  driven  at  an  angle 


RAILS  AND  FASTENINGS.     Ill 

across  the   tie  but  parallel  with  the    base  of  spikes, 
the  rail. 


FIG.  80.      FIG.  81.     FIG.  82.      FIG.  83.  FIG.  84. 

FIGS.  80-85. — Different  Forms  of  Lag-screws  and  Spikes. 

There  are  also  large  numbers  of  nut  locks,  Nut 
most  of  which  have  followed  the  well  known  Iocks* 
"Verona77  idea.  The  original  and  the  latest 
Verona  patterns  are  shown  in  figs.  86  and  87, 
while  figs.  88,  89,  90,  91  and  92  illustrate 
variations  of  it.  The  first  Verona  nut  lock 
(fig.  86)  was  formed  of  a  square  steel  rod, 
bent  into  a  circle,  whose  ends  were  cut  diag- 
onally and  then  forced  a  little  apart.  It  acts 
in  two  ways  :  When  the  nut  is  screwed  up 
tight  the  nut  lock  acts  as  a  spring,  forcing  the 


FIG.  86. — Original  Verona.        FIG.  87. — Recent  Verona. 


FIG.  88.— Eureka. 


FIG.  89. — American. 


112  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Nut  locks. 


FIG.  90.— Harvey. 


FIG.  91.— National 


FIG.  92. — Excelsior. 
Spring  Nut  Locks. 

threads  of  the  nut  and  bolt  together,  while 
its  sharp  ends  form  cutting  edges  which  bear 
respectively  against  the  splice-bar  and  the  nut 
and  •  oppose  the  effort  of  the  nut  to  revolve. 
In  its  new  shape,  one  of  the  ends  is  prolonged, 
which  when  it  strikes  a  projection,  acts  as  a 
stop  to  prevent  the  nut  lock  from  turning. 
An  entirely  different  arrangement  is  presented 
in  fig.  93.  Here  the  washer  is  put  on  flat  as 
in  the  upper  figure,  and  as  shown  by  the  dot- 
ted lines  of  the  lower  figure.  The  nut  is  then 
screwed  home,  when  the  pressure  forces  the 
small  projections  in  the  center  hole  against  the 
thread  of  the  bolt.  The  tongues  are  then 


FIG.  93.— The  Warren 
Washer  for  Metal. 


FIG.  94.— The  Warren 
Washer  for  Wood. 


RAILS  AND  FASTENINGS.     113 

turned  up  against  the  side  of  the  nut.  Fig.  94  Nut  locks, 
is  of  the  same  order,  but  is  intended  for  wood 
and  may  therefore  be  used  on  timber  culverts, 
trestles  and  bridges.  Although  not  of  the 
same  class  as  the  previously  described  nut 
locks,  fig.  95  comes  under  the  same  category. 


Fia.  95.— Grip  Nut. 
(Oliver  Iron  &  Steel  Company.) 

It  differs  from  the  ordinary  nut  only  in  having 
the  three  outside  threads  made  at  a  little  dif- 
ferent angle  from  the  others  and  this  causes 
the  nut  to  bind  against  the  bolt. 

Of  joint  fastenings  there  is  a  great  variety,  Ran  joints. 
many  of  which  will  be  found  illustrated  in 
figs,  96  to  105.  Theoretically,  the  rail  at  the 
joint,  in  order  to  secure  a  perfect  track,  should 
be  exactly  as  flexible  and  as  strong  as  the 
rest  of  the  rail.  So  far,  however,  the  fault 
has  been  chiefly  that  the  joints  have  been  too 
weak.  The  requisites  in  a  joint  are,  in  the 
order  of  their  importance,  strength,  ease  of 
application,  fewness  of  parts  and  cheapness. 
Cheapness  is  put  last  because  a  poor  joint  at 
a  less  price,  will  prove  more  costly  than  a 
higher  priced  good  joint.  Fewness  of  parts 
is  a  very  desirable  feature  since  the  more  parts 
a  joint  has,  the  more  there  are  to  become 
loose  and  get  lost  and  the  longer  it  takes 
to  put  them  together.  Ease  of  application 
is  also  requisite  because  the  operation  of  renew- 


114 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


<8 


RAILS  AND  FASTENINGS.     115 


116 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTERS  ASSISTANT. 


RAILS  AND  FASTENINGS.     117 


o 


n 


I     ! 


KPJ 


118  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


RAILS  AND  FASTENINGS.     119 

ing  rails  is  usually  done  in  a  great  hurry  and 
at  a  time  when  every  moment  counts. 

It  would  be  impossible  in  the  limits  of  this  Angle 
book  to  give  so  much  space  as  would  be  re-  bars- 
quired  to  illustrate  a  tithe  of  the  various  joint 
fastenings  which  are  even  now  being  experi- 
mented with.     A  large  proportion  of  them  are 
foredoomed  failures  while  in  the  case  of  many 
others   experience    seems   to  show  that    they 
must    also   end   in    that   railroad    limbo,    the     | 
scrap  heap,  there  to  remain  until  they  are  re- 
melted    or    re-rolled   into    some    form  of  use- 
fulness. 

Fig.  96  shows  a  four-bolt  angle  joint, 
although  it  is  not  quite  a  typical  joint  except 
at  the  section  A-B,  for  in  the  center  the  bar 
has  been  thickened.  This  accomplished  its 
purpose,  that  of  preventing  the  tearing  apart 
of  the  bar  at  the  joint,  but  it  did  not  prevent 
the  bar  from  bending  and  remaining  bent  per- 
manently. The  six-hole  angle-bar  is  probably 
much  better  but  there  is  almost  a  certainty 
that  it  is  not  good  enough  and  that,  it  cannot 
be  made  so.  Fig.  97  illustrates  a  fair  example 
both  as  to  its  length  and  the  distance  between 
the  bolts.  These  angle-bars  vary  considerably 
in  total  length,  from  32  in.  to  42  in.,  and  in 
extreme  cases  even  less  and  more.  A  com-  suspended 
paratively  small  proportion  are  used  as  sus- 
pended  joints  (that  is  with  two  ties)  but  this 
defeats  one  of  their  chief  advantages  and 
practically  places  them  in  the  class  of  four- 
hole  anHe-bars.  This  is  a  fact  which  seems 

O 

to  have  escaped  many  people  since  it  appears 
quite  evident  that  the  useful  effect  must  dimin 
ish  in  proportion  as  the  bolts  are  further  from 
the  junction  between  the  rails  unless,  as  with 
the  three-tie  joint,  the  bars  are  re-inforced  by 
the  resistance  of  another  tie.  It  is  widely 
believed  that  no  spike-slot  should  be  placed  at 


120  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

or  very  near  the  center,  since  this  is  the  point 
of  greatest  strain  and  it  is  here  that  most 
(substantially  all)  of  the  fractures  occur.  One 
of  the  best  informed  and  most  careful  inves- 
tigators of  track  materials  has  stated  that 
u  the  angle-bar  should  be  high  in  carbon  and 
low  in  phosphorus,  so  that  it  may  be  very 
stiff  and  elastic.  The  mild  steel  splice  takes 
a  *  set '  after  which  it  holds  the  rail-ends  down, 
^  causing  a  permanent  low  joint  which  cannot 

be  corrected  until  new  splices  are  put  in." 
Descrip-          Fig.    98  is,  like  fig.  96,    of  historical  inter- 

johrts*  cs^'  sulce  it  snows  one  °f  the  earliest  attempts 
at  a  "  bridge  joint,"  in  other  words  the  use  of 
two  cross  ties  to  sustain  the  shock  of  the 
wheel-blow  and  the  inherent  weakness  at  the 
break  between  the  two  rails.  Fig.  99  is  the 
descendant  of  fig.  98,  but  neither  in  form  or 
idea  does  it  resemble  its  ancestor.  It  is  exactly 
what  its  name  indicates,  since  it  provides  a 
vertical  as  well  as  a  horizontal  "  fishing,"  and 
to  all  intents  and  purposes,  rejects  the  assist- 
ance of  the  ties. 

*  Fig.  100,  it  will  be  seen,  is  like  fig.  96,  but 
with  its  flanges  widened  and  turned  under  to 
act  as  a  support  to  the  bottom  of  the  rail. 
The  great  resemblance  between  figs.  100  and 
101  needs  nothing  more  than  mention. 

In  fi^.  102  we  find  one  of  the  most  recent 

,„ 

joints.  The  splicing  parts  are  exceptionally 
heavy  and  the  wide  flanges  are  bent  down 
between  the  ties  to  act  as  a  further  opponent 
to  the  up  and  down  movement  of  the  rail. 

Something  of  the  ideas  expressed  in  figs.  98 
and  102  are  found  in  fig.  103,  but  with  the 
addition  of  bolts  to  assist  in  the  labor  performed 
by  the  downward  bent  flanges  of  102.  The 
"  Long  "  truss  joint  (fig.  104)  differs  but  slightly 
from  fig.  103,  since  it  is  intended  to  overcome 
the  same  strains  in  practically  the  same  way. 


RAILS  AND  FASTENINGS.     121 


Fig.  105  is  the  six-hole  angle-bar  of  fig.  97, 
plus  the  bottom  support  of  figs.  98,  100,  101, 
103  and  104,  plus  a  wooden  filling-piece  and  a 
cover-plate,  to  protect  the  wood  and  equalize 
the  pressure  of  the  nuts. 

Besides  the  changes  which  have  taken  place  Various 
in  the  joint  fastenings,  it  has  been  suggested  rai|-end8- 
to  change  the  form  of  the  joint  itself.      Four 
methods  are  shown  in  figs.  106  to  112.     The 
intention  is  the  same  in  all  of  these  suggestions, 
that  is,  to  transfer  the  load  gradually  from  one 
rail  to  the  next  instead  of  all  at  once  as  is  done 
where  the  rail  has  a  square  end. 


\ 


\ 


FIG.  106.— Mitred  Rail-end. 


Fig*.  106  shows  what  is  called 


the   "  mitred 

end,"  a  plan  that  has  been  largely  followed  on 
the  Lehigh  Valley  Railroad. 


FIG.  107.— Vertically-Halved  Rail. 


In  fig. 


107  is  seen  a  method  which  contem- 
plates rolling  the  rail  in  halves.  This  was  first 
tried  with  iron  rails  which  broke  clown  rapidly 
but  since  then,  a  rail  after  this  fashion  has  been 
used  in  Germany  with  apparent  success.  The 
plan  followed,  differed  from  the  original  one, 
since  with  it  the  rails  were  permanently  joined 
through  the  web  by  frequent  rivets.  It  proved 
expensive,  however,  and  it  is  believed  that  the 
plan  next  to  be  described  will  be  found  cheaper 
and  better  in  every  way. 


122 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


rr 


RAILS  AND  FASTENINGS.     123 


SECTION  AT  A.B. 


FIG.  110. — Haarmann-Vietor  Eail. 
Section  at  Joint. 


SECTION  AT  C.D. 


FIG.  111. — Haarmann-Vietor  Rail. 
Section  at  Middle. 


Figs.  108,109,  110  and  111  illustrate  that  Haarmann- 
system  of  track  known  as  the  ' k  Haarmann-  Vietor  gy8- 
Vietor,"  named  for  its  designers,  two  German 
engineers  of  reputation.  As  will  be  seen  from 
fig.  Ill,  a  rail  of  irregular  shape  is  used,  which 
permits  that  one-halt"  the  head  and  base  shall 
be  cut  away  for  about  ten  inches  at  each  end 
without  removing  any  of  the  web  of  the  rail 
in  the  operation.  The  webs  are  then  overlap- 
ped and  further  reinforced  by  angle-bars  as 
shown  in  figs.  108,  109  and  110,  while  the  two 
lines  of  rails  are  joined  at  frequent  intervals  by 
tie-straps,  shown  in  different  positions  on  figs. 
108,  109  and  111.  This  rail  is  very  large.  It 
has  a  height  and  base  of  about  eight  inches  each, 
and  is  embedded  in  the  ballast.  A  pecu- 
liarity of  the  plan  is  that  the  rails  rest  directly 
upon  the  ballast  without  the  use  of  any  cross 
ties.  The  reports  of  its  performance  state  that 
a  record  of  ten  years'  service  prove  that  the 
cost  of  maintenance  in  Germany  did  not  ex- 
ceed twenty  dollars  per  mile  per  year,  while 
the  stiffness  of  the  splice  and  the  continuity 
of  support  secure  an  unparallelled  smooth- 
ness of  track.  It  is  evident  that  nothing  but 
the  best  construction  throughout  and  the  most 


124 


THE  NEW  Ro  ADM  ASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


thorough  drainage  can  be  used  in  this  method 
of  laying  track,  which  seems  to  have  given 
good  results  in  experimental  service. 
Kattepian.  Mr.  Katte,  chief  engineer  of  the  New  York 
Central  &  Hudson  River  Railroad,  has  pro- 
posed the  use  of  a  rail  which  is  composed  of 
two  parts  (fig.  112),  a  head  and  a  base.  These 


FIG.  112.—  KattS  Rail.     Combined  Bail  and  Splice. 


Longer 
rails. 


portions  overlap  each  other  one-half,  and  they 
evidently  dispose  pretty  thoroughly  of  the 
"joint  question/'  since  the  angle-bars  (or  rather 
what  corresponds  to  them)  have  in  this  case 
become  continuous. 

Right  in  line  with  the  attempts  which  are 
being  made  to  secure  perfectly  tight  and  rigid 
joints  are  the  comparatively  recent  experi- 
ments in  laying  45  ft.,  60  ft.  and  even  90  ft. 
rails.  This  has  already  been  largely  done  and 
proved  to  be  a  decided  advantage  ;  an  easily 
understood  matter  when  it  is  remembered  that 
45,  60  and  90  ft.  rails  have  respectively  but 
|,  £  and  J  as  many  joints  as  a  30  ft.  rail. 

Practically  continuous  rails  have  been  suc- 
cessfully used  in  this  country.  The  idea, 
which  was  patented  on  one  occasion  by  a 
section-foreman  named  Noonan,  seems  to  have 
been  first  tried  on  what  is  now  a  branch  of 
the  Norfolk  &  Western  Railway.  The  rails 
were  bolted  together  as  tightly  as  possible  and 
their  ends  were  butted,  allowing  no  room  for 
expansion.  Roughly  speaking,  steel  expands 
one  inch  in  every  100  feet  for  an  increase  of 


RAILS  AND  FASTENINGS.     125 

100  degrees  Fahrenheit  in  temperature.  Until 
recently  it  has  been  believed  that  the  rail  should 
be  able  to  move  through  the  joint  or  it  might 
buckle,  destroy  the  gage  of  the  track  and  cause 
a  derailment,  but  in  the  light  of  some  experi- 
ments made  on  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad 
by  Mr.  Torrey,  its  chief  engineer,  some  doubt 
exists  as  to  whether  it  would  not  be  better  to 
combine  the  movement  of  the  several  joints  at 
particular  points  considerable  distances  apart, 
in  the  form  of  special  expansion  joints.  The 
experiments  indicate  that  the  movement  of  the 
rail  is  not  so  great  as  might  be  expected 
under  the  changes  of  temperature  which  take 
place,  and  after  four  years  of  service  Mr.  Tor- 
rey still  calls  a  stretch  of  track  which  has  riveted 
rails  500  ft.  long  the  best  piece  of  track  on  the 
Michigan  Central  Railroad.  The  method  fol- 
lowed has  been  to  insert  split  points  in  the 
track  some  hundreds  of  feet  apart,  in  the 
manner  suggested  in  Chapter  XI  for  taking 
up  the  movement  in  creeping  track  and  to 
rivet  the  intermediate  rails  ends  together  in 
such  a  way  as  to  make  a  practically  continu- 
ous rail. 

Extensive    arrangements    have    also     been  casting 
designed  for  welding  or  casting  the  rail  ends  fnd  weld" 
together.     The  first   method  and  that  which  Ingen  8" 

O 

promises  the  best  results  is  an  electric  weld- 
ing plant,  mounted  on  a  car,  wrhich  heats  the 
adjacent  ends  of  rails  and  melts  them  together 
by  means  of  the  electric  current,  thus  forming 
one  piece  out  of  several  rails.  The  other  plan 
contemplates  the  use  of  a  portable  cupola  or 
furnace  for  melting  iron,  and -a  series  of  molds 
which  are  clamped  around  the  joints  of  the 
rails.  The  melted  iron  is  then  poured  into 
the  molds  which  are  allowed  to  cool  and  are 
then  removed.  There  is  not  much  doubt  that 
there  is  a  strong  tendency  to  eliminate  at 


126  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

Welded  least  a  part  of  the  joints  in  our  railroad  track 
joints.  jjy  some  Of  the  methods  indicated,  and  it  must 
be  counted  as  a  powerful  factor  in  the  pro- 
gress of  the  immediate  future.  Not  only  is 
this  to  be  seen  on  steam  railroads  experiment- 
ally, but  street  railroads  have  been  and  are 
being  built,  wholly  without  regard  to  the 
expansion  and  contraction  of  the  rails  due 
to  changes  in  temperature. 


CHAPTER  XL 
TRACK  WORK. 

The  rails  are  usually  received  from  the  mill  counting 
oil  flat  or  gondola  cars  and  should  be  care-  |^d*^™" 
fully  counted  at  the  time  they  are  unloaded  ** 
for  the  purpose  of  detecting  any  error  in  the 
shipping  list.  The  brand  is  always  on  the  same 
side  of  the  rail,  as  it  lies  in  the  car.  Since 
many  railroads  do  and  all  railroads  should  re- 
quire the  rails  to  be  laid  with  the  brands  either 
all  on  the  inside  or  all  on  the  outside  of  the 
rail  when  in  the  track,  it  must  be  seen  to  that 
the  cars  point  in  the  right  direction  when  the 
rail  is  taken  out  to  be  unloaded.  If  the  turn- 
ing of  the  cars  (when  they  point  in  the  wrong 
direction)  is  not  done,  each  rail  must  be  sepa- 
rately turned  in  order  to  get  the  brand  on  the 
proper  side.  In  any  event,  a  string  of  rails 
should  always  have  the  brand  on  the  same  side, 
because  the  top  and  bottom  surfaces  of  the  rail 
are  not  always  parallel,  owing  to  an  imperfect 
adjustment  of  the  rolls  in  the  mill ;  therefore, 
if  the  rails  are  not  laid  uniformly  a  rough 
track  is  apt  to  result. 

A  great  deal  has  been  written  and  said  con-  unloading 
cerning  the  proper  way  to  unload  rails  in  order  rai!s- 
that  they  shall  sustain  the  least  possible  dam- 
age in  the  process.  The  dangers  likely  to  occur 
are  the  breaking  and  kinking  of  the  rail.  The 
breaking  of  a  rail  in  unloading  may  be  caused 
by  carelessness,  but  on  the  other  hand  may 
result  in  the  detection  of  a  flaw  which  would 
have  rendered  it  unfit  for  use  in  the  track. 
The  dropping  of  a  rail  on  its  end  or  among  a 
lot  of  other  rails  is  very  likely  to  break  or 


128 

Unloading 
rails. 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

bend  it  in  such  a  way  as  to  render  it  prac- 
tically useless,  but  when  it  is  squarely  dropped 
on  the  bare  ground,  the  fact  that  it  breaks  is 
sufficient  proof  that  it  should  never  have  gone 
into  the  main  track. 

Among  other  methods  which  have  been  de- 
vised for  unloading  rails,  there  are  three  which 
seem  to  offer  some  advantages.  The  first  con- 
templates the  use  of  two  drag  ropes  with  a  hook 
at  each  end.  Each  rope  is  handled  by  a  gang 
of  men,  who  attach  it  to  the  track  at  one  end 
(by  placing  the  hook  under  the  rail)  and  insert 
the  hook  at  the  other  end  of  the  rope  in  one 
of  the  bolt  holes  of  a  rail  on  the  car.  The 
train  is  moved  slowly  forward,  the  rope  drag- 
ging the  rail  from  the  car,  while  the  men  pre- 
vent it  from  dropping  suddenly  by  receiving  it 
on  hand-spikes  before  the  car  has  quite  passed 
from  under  it.  It  is  then  carefully  lowered  to 
the  ground.  The  two  gangs  alternate  in  their 
movements,  one  gang  being  engaged  in  lower- 
ing a  rail  to  the  ground,  while  the  other  is 
attaching  its  rope  to  a  rail  on  the  car.  Of 
course  it  is  only  possible  to  use  this  method 
when  the  rails  are  loaded  on  flat  cars,  or  on 
cars  with  openings  in  the  ends.  The  second 
plan  (fig.  113)  provides  a  pair  of  hangers,  of 


FlG,  113. — Rollers  for  Hanging  to  the  Side  of  a  Gondola. 


TRACK  WORK.     129 

different  heights,  in  which  rollers  are  mounted,  unloading 
When  the  hangers  are  hooked  over  the  side  of  rails' 
a  gondola  car,  the  rail  is  placed  in  them  by 
one  gang  of  men  on  the  car,  and  by  reason  of 
its  slope,  the  rail  slides  easily  to  the  ground 
where  it  is  received  by  another  gang.  This 
arrangement  is  evidently  suited  to  any  car  with- 
out a  roof  and  also  permits,  as  does  the  first 
method,  that  the  rails  shall  be  unloaded  with- 
out injury  while  the  train  is  in  motion.  A 
third  method  (fig.  114)  is  much  like  the 


FIG.  114. — Kail-chute  to  be  Hung  to  the  Side  of  a  Gondola. 

preceding,  except  that  a  chute  is  used  instead 
of  the  two  hanging  rollers.  Neither  is  it 
necessary  to  provide  a  gang  to  lower  the  rail 
to  the  ground,  since  the  upper  end  is  supported 
by  the  chute  at  all  times  during  the  passage. 

The  skidding  of  rails  is  hardly  possible 
under  ordinary  circumstances,  unless  time  is  of 
no  importance. 

In  re-laying  rails  it  is  necessary  that  every 
preparation  shall  be  made  to  facilitate  the  work  rails 
before    breaking   the   main  track.     The  rails 
should  be  laid  end  to  end,   at  least  partially 
bolted,  and  the   spacing  should  be   carefully 


130 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


looked  after  with  regard  to  the  joints  on  the 
other  side  of  the  track. 

spacing  for  In  separating  the  rail  ends  from  each  other, 
expansion.  jron  snmls  must  be  used  which  should  vary  in 
thickness  from  an  eighth  to  three-eighths  of 
an  inch.  During  cold  weather  the  three-eighths 
inch  shim  should  be  used  and  the  one-fourth 
inch  for  average  temperatures,  but  in  ordinary 
summer  weather  an  eighth  of  an  inch  is  quite 
sufficient,  while  on  days  when  the  thermometer 
goes  above  90  degrees  Fahrenheit  no  opening 
at  all  is  necessary.  The  practice  of  using  pieces 
of  wood  for  this  spacing  ought  not  to  be  per- 
mitted. Fig.  115  illustrates  a  convenient  im- 


FIG.  115.— Shimming  Tool  for  Laying  Rails. 

plement,  which  can  be  made  in  any  blacksmith 
shop,  where  the  three  thicknesses  are  provided 
in  the  shape  of  arms  set  around  a  stem. 


TRACK  WORK.     131 

For  a  temporary  connection  with  the  old  Temporary 
rail  a  split  point   should  be   kept    on  hand,  ^Onnnec" 
which  can  be  bolted  to  the  end  of  the  new 
rail  in  a  moment  and  spiked  up  against  the 
old  rail  or  vice  verm,  when  it  is  desired  to  let 
some  train  go  by,  or  to  close  up  for  the  night. 

Where  trains  are  close  together  the  work  of 
tearing  out  the  old  rail  and  laying  the  new 
rail  should  be  carried  on  at  the  same  time,  so 
as  to  make  the  most  of  what  interval  there 
is  between  trains.  In  this  way  and  by  keep- 
ing the  split  point  at  the  head  of  the  gang, 
the  track  can  be  kept  open  until  the  last 
minute. 

If  the  new  and   old   rails  are  of   different  off»«t 
heights,     "  offset    splices, 7;    (of    which    three  8P|ices- 
kinds  are  illustrated  in  figs.  116,  117  and  118), 


FIG.  116.— Hawks'  Offset  Splice. 


FIG.  117.— Fisher  Offset  Splice. 


SECTION  ON  A.  B. 


SECTION  ON  C.D. 


FIG.  118.— Weber  Offset  Splice. 


132 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT, 


Speed  of 
trains. 


Time  to 
re-lay. 


Short 
pieces. 


should  be  provided  for  the  joint  at  which  the 
connection  is  to  be  made. 

When  the  new  rail  has  a  wider  base  than 
that  which  it  replaces,  the  ties  must  be  pre- 
pared to  receive  it,  for  the  old  rail  will  have 
cut  in  to  a  certain  extent,  leaving  a  shoulder 
which  must  be  trimmed  clown  before  the  new 
rail  is  laid.  This  can  be  done  by  special  men 
provided  with  adzes,  who  will  follow  the  gang 
which  is  throwing  out  the  old  rail. 

In  preparing  for  the  removal  of  the  old  rail 
most  of  the  inside  spikes  and  some  of  the  out- 
side spikes  may  be  drawn  and  trains  may  still 
be  permitted  to  pass  at  a  low  rate  of  speed  ; 
but  care  should  be  taken  to  locate  caution  sig- 
nals or  men  with  green  flags,  sufficiently  far 
from  the  work  which  is  going  on,  to  warn 
approaching  trains  that  the.  track  is  not  safe 
for  high  speed,  while,  if  there  is  any  doubt  as 
to  the  safety  of  the  track  even  for  low  speed, 
red,  flags  must  be  sent  out. 

As  has  been  stated,  one  of  the  best  periods 
for  relaying  rail  is  that  which  immediately 
precedes  the  opening  of  spring  work.  This, 
however,  cannot  always  be  done  in  actual 
practice,  since  rail  must  usually  be  laid  when 
it  is  received,  or  very  shortly  after,  and  this 
will  be  at  different  times  in  the  year.  But  no 
matter  at  what  season,  it  is  most  important, 
when  new  rail  is  put  into  the  track,  that  the 
joints  shall  be  promptly  attended  to.  Where 
old  rail  has  been  in  for  some  time  the  ends  are 
apt  to  be  bent  down  and  the  ties  not  level, 
consequently,  where  all  of  the  ties  cannot 
immediately  be  raised  to  support  the  rail, 
shims  must  be  used  in  such  a  way  as  to  give 
it  an  even  bearing  on  all  the  ties. 

The  ordinary  length  of  rails  is  30  feet,  but 
among  all  lots  of  new  rails  some  shorter 
pieces  will  be  found  which  are  very  useful  in 


TRACK  WORK.     133 

maintaining  the  proper  distance  between 
joints  on  the  opposite  sides  of  the  track, 
while  going  around  curves,  or  past  frogs 
and  switches.  By  a  judicious  use  of  these 
short  pieces  almost  all  cutting  of  rails  may  be 
avoided. 

The  bolts,  nuts,  nut-locks,  etc.,  necessary  for  careof 
re-laying  rail,  should  be  carefully  distributed  materlal- 
immediately  before  they  are  needed  and  should 
not  be  thrown  around  helter-skelter  to  be  lost  or 
buried  in  the  ballast.     Men  will  not  be  careful 
of  material  which  does  not  belong   to    them 
unless  they  are  closely  watched,  and  this  is  a 
matter  which  should  never  be  lost  sight  of  in 
doing  any  kind  of  track  work. 

The  question  of  opposite  or  broken  joints  opposite 
has  now  been  generally  decided  in  favor  of  the 
latter.  The  prevailing  practice  on  almost 
every  important  road  in  the  country  is  in  favor 
of  this,  since  there  is  good  reason  for  believing 
that  trains  ride  more  easily  over  them  and  with 
less  noise  than  they  do  over  opposite  joints  ; 
it  is  probable  too  that  the  track  is  more  easily 
maintained. 

The  increased  height  in  the  rail  has  made  it  Track 
possible  to  place  the  nuts  on  the  inside  of  the  ** 
track  without  fear  of  having  them  cut  off  by 
deeply  worn  tires.  This  enables  a  track- walker 
to  see  at  a  glance  all  of  the  nuts  on  a  single 
piece  of  track  as  he  patrols  his  section,  without 
being  forced  to  step  from  one  side  of  the  track 
to  the  other,  or  to  patrol  different  sides  of  the 
track  at  different  times.  Track  bolts  should 
be  regularly  tightened,  for  when  only  slightly 
loose  they  do  not  unscrew  nearly  so  rapidly  as 
when  loose  enough  to  receive  a  considerable 
motion  from  the  passing  of  trains,  that  is,  the 
looser  they  are  the  more  rapidily  they  shake 
off.  With  reference  to  their  form  it  is  only 
necessary  to  state  that  square  nuts  are  prefer- 


134 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Elevation 
on  curves. 


able  to  hexagon  nuts  since  they  do  not   wear 
out  at  the  corners. 

The  amount  of  super-elevation  which  shall 
be  put  in  the  outer  rail  on  curves  is  a  difficult 
matter  to  settle  and  it  is  probable  that  no 
practicable  rule,  which  can  be  applied  to  every 
case,  will  ever  be  arrived  at.     The  three  ele- 
ments in  every  question  are,  the  general  char- 
acter of   the   traffic,   the  maximum  speed  of 
trains  and  the  degree   of  curve.     If  it  were 
not  for  the  first  it  would  be  possible  to  com- 
promise   the    requirements    of    the   last    two 
elements  very  satisfactorily.     But  it  is  evident 
that  to  arrange  a  track  for  a  speed  of  sixty 
miles  an  hour,   around  curves  of  five  or  six 
degrees,  would  be  inadvisable  if  there  were 
but  one  or  two  trains  to  use  the  track  at  that 
speed.     A  happy  mean  is  therefore  the  nearest 
that  can  usually  be  arrived  at  and  the  simplest 
is  also  the  best  rule  for  this  purpose.     Three- 
fourths  inch  for  each  degree  of  curve  with  a 
maximum    of    six    inches  is   easy    enough    to 
remember    and   is    a   safe    rule.       The    result 
would  be  as  follows  : 


SUPER-ELEVATION  FOR  A  SPEED  OF  40  MILES  PER  HOUR. 


Degree  of  Curve,  - 

1 

i 

ii 

2 

2i 

3 

3i 

4 

41 

5 

5i 

6 

6J 

7 

n 

8 

Elevation  in  Inches, 

i 

i 

ij 

li 

IS 

21 

O5 

^ 

3 

3f 

3f 

4J 

4J 

4g 

5J 

5| 

8 

If  the  rail  is  to  be  elevated  for  still  higher 
speeds,  the  rate  of  increase  may  be  put  at  1 
inch  per  degree  of  curve,  that  is  1  inch  for  a 
1°  curve,  2  inches  for  a  2°  curve  and  so  forth. 
It  would  not  be  safe  to  advise  a  higher  eleva- 
tion than  six  inches  for  any  curve  except  under 
rare  conditions.  If  the  rail,  ties  and  ballast 
are  respectively  as  heavy,  sound  and  deep  as 
the  best  service  demands,  then  and  only  then 


TRACK  WORK.     135 

is  it  advisable  to  exceed  six  inches  of  super- 
elevation. Eight  inches  is  in  any  case  the 
maximum. 

But  after  all  the  true  way  to  test  the  riding 
quality  of  a  curve  is  to  ride  around  it.  If,  on 
entering  a  curve,  the  engine  gives  a  back- 
breaking  twist  or  the  rear  car  slams  against  the 
outer  rail  in  a  crack-the-whip  fashion,  it  is  a 
pretty  good  argument  that  something  is  wrong 
even  if  the  curve  has  been  put  up  according 
to  an  authorized  rule. 

Where  the  curve  is  not  "  eased,  "  as  will  be  Tapering 
explained  later  on,  the  elevation  on  the  curve  off- 
must  be  carried  back  on  the  tangent  and  the 
commonest  distance  is  100  feet  for  each  inch 
of   elevation.      This  however   would  not   be 
possible  at  reverse  curves  where  there  is  little 
or  no  connecting  tangent,  in  which  case  the 

O  O  7 

rate  must  be  shortened  to  suit  the  conditions. 

Trackmen  are  seldom  required  to  arrange  Elevation 
for  the  super-elevation  on  bridges  since  the  Ol 
work  requires  more  accuracy  than  the  force  is 
able  to  command  with  the  ordinary  tools  of 
the  section.  In  consequence,  special  ties, 
sawed  to  the  necessary  taper  are  usually  pro- 
vided ;  or  else  substantial  shims,  of  the  same 
length  as  the  ties,  also  sawed  to  the  required 
taper  are  placed  between  the  rail  and  tie  and 
spiked  or  bolted  to  the  latter.  If  the  shims 
are  used,  they  should  be  at  least  an  inch  wider 
than  the  tie,  in  order  that  they  shall  overhang 
a  half-inch  on  each  side  and  prevent  moisture 
from  penetrating  and  resting  between  the  shim 
and  the  tie.  The  ordinary  shim  used  on  heav- 
ing track  should  never  be  placed  under  the 
outer  rail  of  the  curve  on  a  bridge.  This  is 

O 

because  the  two  rails  of  the  track  will  not 
then  lie  m  the  same  plane  and  the  wheel- 
treads  will  consequently  roll  on  the  edges  of 
the  rails  instead  of  directly  on  the  tops. 


136  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

curve  The  only  satisfactory  and   proper  method 

easements.  wnjch  js  applicable  to  all  commencements  of 
curvature,  is  "easement."  This  is  done  by 
inserting  what  is  called  a  "transition  curve" 
between  the  tangent  and  the  main  curve.  The 
transition  curve  begins  at  the  straight  line  with 
no  curvature  whatever  and  gradually  increases 
in  sharpness  until,  when  it  joins  the  main 
curve,  the  two  have  the  same  rate  of  curva- 
ture. By  this  plan,  it  is  possible  to  begin  the 
super-elevation  at  the  point  where  the  tangent 
joins  the  transition  curve,  gradually  increasing 
the  super-elevation  as  the  curve  becomes 
sharper.* 

widening  Jt  is  sometimes  necessary  to  widen  the  gage 
of  the  track  ;  this  happens  frequently  at 
switches  and  on  side  tracks  which  are  used  by 
consolidation  or  other  locomotives  which  have 
a  long  wheel-base.  Two  inches  is  the  most 
that  the  track  should  be  widened  and  when 
this  is  done,  guard  rails  should  be  placed  close 
inside  the  outer  rail  of  the  curve  and  close 
outside  the  iimer  rail,  in  order  that  the  blind 
«  drivers  may  not  run  off  the  track.  There  are 
many  things  which  would  qualify  any  rule  for 
guidance  in  this  matter,  but  the  principal  one 
is  the  width  of  driving  wheels,  which  may 
vary  between  five  and  a  half  a-nd  six  and  a 
half  inches,  so  that  what  is  perfectly  feasible 
on  one  railroad  may  be  impossible  on  another, 
owing  to  the  peculiarity  of  its  motive  power. 
Although  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  widen  the 
gage  on  main  tracks  (owing  to  the  compara- 
tive slightness  of  the  curvature)  it  is  neverthe- 
less the  practice  on  some  lines.  A  fairly  aver- 
age rate  for  this  purpose  would  be  -jV  inch  per 
degree  of  curve,  increasing  by  jumps  of  two 

*  One  of  the  simplest  methods  of  laying  out  transition  curves 
is  explained  in  Torrey's  "  Switch  Lay-Outs  and  Curve  Ease- 
ments, "  published  by  the  Railroad  Gazette. 


TRACK  WORK.     137 

degrees.  That  is  £  inch  for  a  2  degree  curve, 
|  inch  for  u  4  degree  curve,  f  inch  for  a  6 
degree  curve,  etc. 

Rail  braces,  figs.  119  and  120,  must  be  used  Ran 
on  the  outside  of  both  rails  at  curves  of  more  braces- 


FIG.  119.— Weir  Frog  Company's  Rail  Brace. 


FIG.  120.— Elliot  Frog  &  Switch  Company's  Rail  Brace. 

than  three  degrees,  and  at  all  other  places 
where  the  track  is  likely  to  spread.  On  the 
easy  curves  three  braces  to  the  rail  is  enough, 
but  these  must  be  increased  as  the  curvature 
becomes  sharper  until  there  are  two  braces 
on  every  tie.  They  may  be  made  of  die- 
formed  steel  as  are  the  figs.  119  and  120, 
which  is  the  best  plan,  or  of  malleable  iron 
or  of  wrought  iron,  but  a  cast-iron  rail  brace 
is  likely  to  be  worse  than  useless  and  should 
never  be  used  at  an  important  place. 

Creeping    rails   are    the    source    of    much  Creeping 
annoyance  and  sometimes  cause  serious  clam-  ralls* 
age  v/hen  not  promptly  and  regularly  attended 
to.      They    occur    under    different    conditions 
and  require  different  remedies  which  are  often 
determined    by  the   local    circumstances    sur- 


138 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Creeping 
rails*. 


rounding  the  trouble,  but  on  bridges  where 
there  is  a  heavy  grade  the  fault  is  most  likely 
to  be  found  and  has  been  entirely  corrected 
by  filling  the  space  between  the  cross  ties 
under  the  rail  with  short  blocks  of  oak  of  the 
thickness  of  the  ties  and  spiking  the  rail 
closely  to  them  as  in  fig.  121.  The  common 


FIG.  121.— Filling-blocks  on  Bridge  Floors.   - 

practice  of  spiking  in  the  slot  holes  or  at  the 
ends  of  the  angle  bars  to  prevent  rails  from 
creeping  on  bridges  is  bad  and,  while  it  does 
not  often  cure  the  trouble,  the  ties,  if  they  are 
not  damaged,  will  usually  be  disturbed. 

On  the  ground  the  joints  may  be  braced  to 
the  ties  by  straps  of  iron,  and,  if  all  other 
plans  fail,  single  split  points  should  be  placed 
in  the  track,  for  they  may  move  back  and 
forth  a  distance  of  several  inches  and  do  no 
harm.  When  they  have  moved  the  allowed 
distance,  the  rails  back  of  them  can  be  changed 
by  inserting  pieces  of  different  lengths  which 
must  be  kept  on  hand  for  the  purpose.  An 
ingenious  and  useful  application  of  this  idea 
is  shown  in  fig.  122.  Here  the  split  rail  is 
unspiked  but  is  held  firmly  against  the  main 


TRACK  WORK.     139 


140  THE  NEW  Ro  ADM  ASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

rail  by  the  springs  which  may  be  seen  in  the 
sectional  view. 

Curving  Rails  on  all  curves  above  three  degrees 
ratl8'  should  be'  carefully  curved  before  being  laid 
when  a  good  track  is  desired,  for  if  this  is  not 
done,  even  when  the  track  was  originally  left 
in  good  line,  the  elasticity  of  the  metal  will 
soon  cause  it  to  spring  in  at  the  center  and  out 
at  the  joints,  resulting  in  a  track  composed  of 
several  short  pieces  of  straight  line  instead  of 
a  regular  curve.  The  frequent  fault  of  not 
carrying  the  curve  out  to  the  end  of  the  rail 
should  be  particularly  avoided.  And  even 
though  the  rails  have  been  properly  curved,  if 
the  spikes  have  not  been  driven  tight  against 
the  rails  both  inside  and  outside,  the  passage 
of  trains  will  soon  develop  unexpected  and 
annoying  kinks. 

Rail  For  bending  rails  there  are  many  devices ; 

the  best  known  and  the  cheapest  is  the  "  Jim 
Crow,"  fig.  123,  which  is  worked  by  a  capstan 


FIG.  123.— "Jim  Crow"  Rail-bender. 

and  bar.  The  device  illustrated  in  fig.  124 
bends  the  rail  by  a  series  of  blows  delivered 
by  means  of  the  lever.  The  traveling  rail- 
bender,  fig.  125,  is  placed  at  one  end  of  the 
rail  where  it  is  adjusted  to  the  proper  curve, 
then  by  revolving  the  capstan  in  the  center  of 
the  mechanism  the  device  is  propelled  along 
the  rail,  curving  it  as  it  goes.  The  hydraulic 
rail-bender,  fig.  126,  is  an  adaptation  of  the 


TRACK  WORK.     141 


Rail 
benders. 


FIG.  124. — Emerson  Rail-bender. 
(M.  N.  Brown.) 


FIG.  125.— Travelling  Rail-bender. 
(Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.) 


FIG.  126.— Hydraulic  Rail-bender. 
(Watson  &  Stillman  Company.) 


142 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


hydraulic  jack  and  is  an  efficient  tool,  since  it 

operates  very  rapidly  and  with  great  force. 

Boit  and          If  it  is  necessary  to  make  holes  in  the  web 

spike  holes.  ()fa  m-|  t0 'fog  used  in  the  main  track  it  should 

not  be  done  with  a  hand  punch,  fig.  127,  except 


FIG.  127.— Hand  Rail  Punch. 


under  the  most  powerful  necessity ;  neverthe- 
less the  hand  punch  may  be  used  for  side  track 
work  and  is  a  handy  tool  to  have  on  hand 
when  putting  in  bolts.  The  hydraulic  punch, 
fig.  128,  is  a  comparatively  recent  form,  while 


FIG.  128.— Hydraulic  Rail  Punch. 
(Watson  &  Stillman  Company.) 

some  well  known  drills  are  shown  in  figs.  129 
to  134.  Of  these,  fig.  130  is  driven  forward 
by  both  movements  of  the  handle,  while  figs. 
131,  132  and  133  have  an  automatic  feeding 
arrangement. 


TRACK  WORK.     143 


FIG.  129.— Typical  Ratchet  Drill. 


FIG.  130.— Schuttler  Double-motion  Drill. 


Rail  drills 


&  f 


FIG.  131.— Beal'a  Self-feedins-  Ratchet  Drill. 


144  THE  NEW  RGADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Rail  drills. 


FIG.  132.— Paulas  Drill. 
(Buda  Foundry  <fc  Manufacturing  Company.) 


FIG.  133.— Buda  Drill. 


TRACK  WORK.     145 


FIG.  134.— The  Buda  Drill  Withdrawn. 


An  ingenious  application  of  the  hydraulic 
jack  is  illustrated  in  fig.  135  for  cutting  spike 


FIG.  135.— Hydraulic  Punch  for  Spike-slot. 
(Watson  &  Stillman  Company.) 

slots  in  the  base  of  a  rail ;  this  is  greatly  to  be 
preferred  to  a  chisel  or  hand  punch. 

For  cutting  rails  in  an  emergency  and  for  cutting 
general  rough  work  the  track  chisel,  fig.  136,  rails- 


FIG.  136.— Track  Chisel. 

is  likely  to  hold  its  own,  but  like  the  rail  punch 
it  must  not  be  used  on  the  main  track.  Its 
best  work  is  coarse  compared  with  that  of  tools 


146 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


cutting      especially  designed  for  the  purpose  as  are  those 
ralls-          &hown  in  %s.  137  and  138.    Besides,  it  is  slow, 


FIG.  137.— Bryant  Rail  Saw. 
(Q.  &  C.  Company.) 


FIG.  138.— Smith  Rail  Saw. 

uncertain  and   the  rail  is  apt  to  be  bent  in 
dropping  it. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

TOOLS. 

There  is  so  large  a  variety  of  tools  used  in 
maintaining  a  railroad  track  that  beyond  illus- 
trating and  describing  typical  ones  of  each 
class,  little  can  be  said.  Many  of  them  have 
already  been  mentioned  in  previous  chapters 
but  many  others  remain  and  they  will  be 
treated  of  here. 

Each  roadmaster,  unless  the  passenger  trains  velocipede 
are    frequent,    should   have   a  velocipede-car.  cars* 
Two  well  known  forms  are  illustrated  in  fi«fs. 

O 

139  and  140,  which,  however,  are  likely  to  Jbe 
supplanted  by  the  models,  figs.  141,  142  and 
143.  Of  these  the  last  two  have  a  distinct 


FIG.  139. — Kalamazoo  One-man  Velocipede. 


148  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Velocipede 
cars. 


FIG.  140.— Sheffield  One-man  Velocipede 
(Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.) 


"  \ 

FIG.  141.— Kalamazoo  "Safety"  Velocipede. 

advantage  in  that  the  rider  sits  in  the  middle  of 
the  machine,  from  where  he  sees  his  track  better 
and  is  not  apt  to  tip  over  while  going  around 
curves.  Convenient  and  simple  locomotive 


TOOLS.     149 


Velocipede 
cars. 


/     /      I       I      \       \      \ 

FIG.  142.— Hartley  &  Teeter  Velocipede. 


FIG.  143.— Roberts,  Throp  &  Co.  Velocipede  with  Switch-lamp 
Attachment. 

cars  are  shown  in  figs.  144  and  145.    They  are 


operated    by   gasoline 


at   a    cost    of 


(it  is  said)  a  few  cents  a  day  and  attain  a 
considerable  speed.  They  are  light  in  con- 
struction and  fig.  145  is  roomy.  It  should, 
therefore,  prove  of  great  use  for  monthly  in- 
spections when  it  is  often  necessary  that  two  or 
three  persons  shall  take  part.  It  is  not  then 
desirable  that  the  attention  of  the  inspectors 
should  be  distracted  from  their  duties  by  the 
necessity  for  performing  manual  labor,  as  would 


150  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


FIG.  144.— Sheffield  Gasoline  Motor. 
(Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.) 


FIG.  145. — Kalamazoo  Gasoline  Motor. 


be  the  case  if  a  velocipede  were  used.  If 
the  claims  made  for  it  are  true,  it  is  much 
cheaper  than  to  take  men  from  a  section  gang 
to  propel  a  car. 


TOOLS.     151 


Each  of  the  sections,  except  the  very  short  Hand  cars, 
ones,  should  be  provided  with  an  easy-running 
hand-car,  figs.  146,  147  and  148,  as  light  as  is 


FIG.  146.— Early  Kalamazoo  Hand  Car. 


FIG.  147.— Hand  Car. 
(Buda  Foundry  &  Mfg.  Company.) 

consistent  with  strength,  for  the  transportation 
of  men  and  tools,  but  not  material  unless  it  be 
of  the  lightest.  Push-cars  of  two  varieties  are 
illustrated  by  figs.  149  and  150.  Here  strength 


152  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT 


Hand  cars 


FIG.  148.— Hand  Car. 
(Roberts,  Throp  <fc  Company.) 


FlG.  149.— Sheffield  Push  Car. 


FIG.  150.— Push  Car. 
(Roberts,  Throp  &  Company.) 


TOOLS.     153 

and  stability  are  of  greater  importance  than 
with  hand-cars  and  should  be  the  main  feature 
of  their  construction. 

The  track  gage  should  be  not  only  a  gage  Track 
but  a   square,   so   formed  that,   when  placed  gage- 
against  the  rail,  it  will  stand  at  right  angles  to 
it.     The  old  and  well  known  Huntington  gage 
fulfils  these  conditions.     In  fig.  151  the  lugs 


FIG.  151. — Modified  Huntington  Track-gage. 

pointing  downward  at  the  ends  are  made  the 
width  necessary  to.  gage  the  distance  of  the 
guard  rail  from  the  main  rail  opposite  the  point 
of  a  frog ;  this  is  not  a  feature  of  the  gage  in 
its  original  form,  but  is  a  modification  which 
will  be  found  convenient  and  assist  in  reaching 
accurate  results.  All  track  gages  must  be 
compared  from  time  to  time  with  a  standard 
measure  kept  at  headquarters  and  no  track  spik- 
ing of  any  kind  should  be  performed  without  the 
use  of  the  gage,  where  the  track  is  unspiked 
for  more  than  two  ties  or  where  the  neighbor- 
ing spikes  have  been  driven  for  a  long  time. 

The  track  level,  fig.  152,  should  be  substan-  Track 
tial  but  light,  formed  of  white  pine,  free  from  leveh 


FIG.  152.— Ordinary  Track-level. 


154  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

knots  and  bound  all  around  with  one-eighth- 
inch  iron.     Another  form  is  shown  in  lig.  153; 


Tape  line. 


FIG.  153.— Adjustable  Track-level. 

this  one  admits  of  a  closer  adjustment  but  is 
more  apt  to  be  damaged  and  it  is  likely  to  prove 
misleading  in  the  hands  of  a  careless  man,  or 
unless  it  is  closely  watched.  The  addition  of 
two  gaging-lugs  would  render  it  a  valuable 
combination  tool  for  carrying  upon  the  road- 
master's  velocipede  car,  since  it  is  light  and  by 
folding  back  the  slotted  scale,  becomes  very 
compact.  The  track-level,  like  the  gage,  should 
be  constantly  used  when  working  around  the 
track  and  should  be  occasionally  tested  to  see 
that  it  is  really  correct.  This  test  can  easily 
be  made  at  any  time  by  setting  the  level  so 
that  the  bubble  appears  exactly  in  the  center 
of  the  opening  ;  then  after  turning  it  end  for 
end,  if  the  level  is  correct,  the  bubble  will  still 
remain  exactly  in  the  center  of  the  opening. 

Each  section-foreman  should  have  a  50-ft. 
tape  line  which  need  not  and  should  not  vary 
more  than  two  inches  from  the  correct  stand- 
ard in  its  whole  length.  These  tape  lines  in 
order  to  remain  correct  must  be  well  made  and 
of  substantial  material.  The  miserable  printed 
calico  affairs  often  supplied  by  the  purchasing 
agent  are  worse  than  useless  and  probably  cost 


TOOLS.     155 

nearly  as  much  in  the  end  as  a  strong  and  Tape  line, 
accurate  tape.  The  roadmaster  should  have 
in  his  pocket  at  all  times  when  on  duty,  a 
25-ft.  steel  tape.  It  is  an  absolutely  necessary 
implement  and  it  will  be  found  useful  on  many 
occasions. 

In  connection  with  the  tape  line,  the  road- 
master  will  find  the  clamp,  fig.  154,  a  useful 


- 

FIG.  154. — Clamp  for  holding  a  Tape  Line. 

and  unusually  convenient  device.  It  will  take 
the  place  of  a  man  in  making  most  of  the 
measurements  necessary  around  the  track,  and 
with  two  clamps  (which  can  easily  be  carried 
on  the  velocipede)  it  is  possible  to  erect  and  let 
fall  perpendiculars  with  considerable  accuracy. 

Of  the  track  bolt  wrenches,  figs.  155  and  wrenches. 
15G,  it  is  only  necessary  to  say  that,  for  rapid 
work,  they  should  be  as  light  as  is  commen- 
surate with  strength  and  that  they  should  fit 
easily.  It  is  possible  to  make  the  square  wrench 
fit  somewhat  more  loosely  than  the  hexagonal 
wrench  without  running  the  chance  of  rounding 
the  corners  of  the  nuts,  and  this  is  one  of  the 
principal  reasons  for  perferring  the  square  nut. 
The  monkey  wrench,  fig.  157,  is  subject  to 
such  rough  usage  that  it  should  be  made  as 
substantially  as  possible  and  because  of  this  the 
metal  handle  is  better  than  a  wooden  one. 


156 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Wrenches. 


FIG.  155. — Square  Nut  Wrench. 
FIG.  156. — Hexagonal  Nut  Wrench. 


FIG.  157. — All-metal  Monkey-wrench. 

nattock.  •  For  grubbing  and  cleaning  up  a  right-of- 
way  and  for  the  rough  work  to  which  a  finely 
sharpened  axe  or  adze  should  not  be  put,  the 
mattock,  fig.  158,  is  invaluable.  Since  it 


Picks. 


FIG.  158.— Mattock. 

combines  the  useful  qualities  of  two  entirely 
different  tools  and  costs  little  more  than  either 
of  them,  it  presents  many  obvious  advantages. 
The  clay  pick,  fig.  159,  need  not  be  heavy 
but  it  must  be  of  finely  tempered  steel,  very 
strong  and  not  much  curved. 


FIG.  159.— Clay  Pick. 

Fig.  160  represents  the  best  form  of  tamp- 
ing tool  for  stone  ballast.      It,  like  the  clay 


TOOLS.     157 

Picks. 


(t       7) 

-<    Hgq 

1°£ 


FIG.  160.— Ballast  Pick. 

pick,  must  be  hard  and  finely  tempered.  The 
weight  should  be  so  distributed  that  the  pick 
will  not  have  a  tendency  to  turn  over  while 
the  tamping  end  is  in  use  and  this  end  must  be 
quite  heavy  and  considerably  curved  in  order 
that  the  pick  may  find  its  way  under  the  tie. 

A  novel  kind  of  pick  is  shown  in  fig.    161 
for  which  many  advantages  are  claimed.     It 


D 


i  ju 

FIG.  161.— Eyeless  Pick. 
(Eyeless  Tool  Company.) 

may  have  any  form  of  end  as  is  evident,  but 
the  one  illustrated  is  suited  only  to  coarse 
gravel  although  the  writer  has  seen  it  used  for 
stone.  It  is  said  that  because  no  eye  need  be 
forged  in  this  pick,  steel  of  the  same  quality 
may  be  used  throughout  and  that  the  pick 
never  needs  new  points  but  only  sharpening 
and  tempering.  The  protection  afforded  by 


158  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

the  handle  grip  is  also  claimed  to  increase  the 

life  of  the  handle. 

Baiiast  The  only  suitable  instrument  for  handling 

fork-  stone  ballast  is  that  represented  in  fig.   162. 


FIG.  Ir2.— Ballast  Fork. 

It  is  shaped  somewhat  like  a  manure  fork  but 

is  much  larger  and  has  square  tines. 

Tamping          Gravel  ballast   requires  different  treatment 

bar.  from  stone  and  therefore  a  different  instrument 

for  packing  it.     The  time  honored  tamping 

bar  is  illustrated  m  fi<r.  163  and  remains  the 


FIG.  163.—  Tamping  Bar. 


same  as  it  has  probably  been  since  the  first 
*davs  of  railroads  and  perhaps  longer. 
Hammers.        Napping  luiiiiincrs,   fig.    164,   for  breaking 
stone  ballast  by  hand  should  have  either  very 


FIG.  164. — Napping  Hammer. 

long  or  very  short  handles  depending  on 
whether  the  men  are  to  stand  or  be  seated 
while  at  work.  It  is  usually  preferred  that 
they  shall  stand,  but  the  hammer  in  either  case 
should  be  extremely  light,  not  to  exceed  three 
pounds  without  the  handle,  Avhich  should  be 


TOOLS.     159 

quite  large  at  the  grasp  and  small  where  it  siedges. 
enters  the  head.  The  amount  of  ballast  that 
a  man  can  make  depends  very  largely  on  the 
kind  of  hammer  and  handle  which  he  has  to 
work  with.  Both  the  napping  hammer  and 
a  10-lb.  sledge,  fi<r.  165,  are  a  necessity  where 


FIG.  165.— Sledge. 

stone   ballast  is    used   and   a    convenience   on 
every  section. 

A  spike  maul  of  the  ordinary  form  is  exhibi- 

ted  ill  hV    166.  drawing 

tools. 


FIG.  166.— Spike  Maul. 

Few  devices  are  better  designed  for  the 
work  which  they  are  to  perform,  than  the 
spike  puller,  fig.  167.  It  will  draw  a  spike 


c )( )  i 


FIG.  167.— Spike  Puller. 


160  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

spike-        from  between  a  guard  rail  and  its  main  rail 
wne11  nothing  else  will  move  it. 

The  claw  bar  has  two  distinct  and  common 
forms,  the  "bull's-foot"  fig.  168  and  the 
"  goose-neck,"  fig.  169.  Most  persons  who 


PIG.  168.—  Bull's-Foot  Claw  Bar. 
FIG.  169.—  Goose-Neck  Claw  Bar. 

have  used  it  prefer  the  goose-neck,  since  it 
has  a  longer  reach  and  does  not  require  a 
spike  or  a  stone  to  be  placed  under  it  when  a 
spike  is  half  pulled.  Neither  is  the  goose- 
neck so  apt  to  bend  the  spikes  in  drawing 
them  as  is  the  bull's-foot. 

Lining  and       The  lining  bar,  fig.  170  is  particularly  in- 
raising       tended   for  lining   and  surfacing  track  and  it 


]?IG.  170.— Lining  Bar. 

should  therefore  be  quite  long  and  heavy.  It 
is  not  suited  for  much  of  the  work  which  is 
required  of  a  crow-bar  and  if  crossing  planks 
or  platform  planks  are  to  be  raised  without 
destroying  them,  the  pinch  bar,  fig.  171,  must 


FIG.  171. — Pinch  or  Eaising  Bar. 

be  used.     As  its  name  implies,  a  car  can  also 
be  moved  with  the  pinch  bar. 

shovels.          The  snow  shovel  shown  in  fig.    172   is  of 
simple    construction,    strong,    durable    and   is 


TOOLS.     161 


FIG.  172.— Snow  Shovel. 


particulary  intended  for  cleaning  platforms  or  shovels. 
bringing  snow  into  piles  whence   it  may  be 
shovelled  into  a  car  and  taken  away. 

The  dirt  shovel,  fig.  173,  is  for  the  ordinary 
work  of  a  section. 


FIG.  173.— Dirt  ShoveL 


The    long-handled,    sharp-pointed    ditching 
shovel,  fig.  174,  is  the  one  which  will  be  found 


FIG.  m.— Ditching  Shovel. 

most  generally  useful  for  its  purpose.  It  will 
take  up  as  much  dirt  as  a  man  can  properly 
throw  from  a  ditch  to  a  partly  loaded  flat  car  ; 
it  penetrates  the  earth  easily  by  reason  of  the 
point  and  it  will  take  a  sufficiently  thin  slice. 
Fig.  173  is  also  made  with  a  long  handle 
but,  except  for  some  particular  reason,  is  not 
usually  required  on  a  section. 


162  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

shovels.          Fig.    175   shows   the    long,   narrow   shovel 
best  adapted  to  tile  drain  work  j    because  of 


PIG.  175.— Tile  Drain  Shovel. 

its  shape,  a  trench  scarcely  wider  than  the 
tile  drain,  may  be  excavated  to  a  considerable 
depth,  with  a  corresponding  saving  in  the 
quantity  of  material  which  must  be  moved. 

For  digging  post  holes,  fig.  176  represents 
the  form  of  tool  most  generally  useful.      In 


Post  holes. 


FIG.  176.— Post  Hole  Shovel. 

soft,  even  soil  however,  the  "scissors"  digger, 
fig.  177  works  very  rapidly.     This  is  driven 


Rail  tongs 
and  fork. 


FIG.  177.— Post  Hole  Digger. 

into  the  ground  with  the  handles  as  they  are 
shown  in  the  drawing ;  they  are  then  spread 
apart  (which  brings  the  scoops  together),  the 
digger  is  withdrawn  and  the  earth  emptied 
onto  the  ground. 

It  seems  unnecessary  to  do  more  than  men- 
tion the  rail  tongs,  fig.  178,  for  carrying  rails 


FIG.  178.— Rail  Tongs. 


TOOLS.     163 


and  the  rail  fork  fig.  179  for  turning  rails  on 
cars  or  when  it  is  desired  to  inspect  them. 


FIG.  179.—  Rail  Fork. 


A  flag  and  lantern-holder  of  some  sort  is 
necessary  in  raising  track  and  a  simple  arrange-  holder- 


ment  is  shown  in  fig.  180! 


It  is  formed  of  a 


_i 


^i 


FIG.  ISO.— Flag  Holder. 


piece  of  gas-pipe  about  six  feet  long,  pointed 
at  the  bottom  and  with  an  ordinary  cast-iron 
"  tee  "  screwed  to  the  top.  The  lantern  is  sup- 
ported on  the  hook  at  A  which  is  bent  around 
the  "tee"  and  is  made  of  J-in.  round  iron. 
If  a  hole  be  bored  through  the  end  of  the  flag 
stick,  and  a  pin  be  put  through  the  hole  after 
the  flag  has  been  placed  in  the  holder,  the  flag 
will  be  prevented  from  falling  out  while  a  piece 
of  telegraph  wire,  bent  into  the  proper  shape, 


164  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

will,  if  sewed  into  the  edges  of  the  cloth,  pre- 
vent the  flag  from  being  rolled  up  by  the  wind, 
care  of  A  number  of  tools  should  be  assigned-  to 

tools.  eacn  section  sufficient  to  keep  all  of  the  men 
employed  at  any  kind  of  work  that  may  be- 
going  on  and  to  replace  dull  tools  which  have 
been  sent  to  the  blacksmith  shop  for  sharpen- 
ing. Before  being  issued  the  tools  must  be 
branded  or  stamped  with  the  initials  of  the 
railroad  company  in  «uch  a  way  as  to  make  it 
impossible  to  efface  them  without  destroying 
the  tool,  and  except  in  rare  cases,  a  track-fore- 
man should  be  forced  to  turn  in  his  old  tools 
at  the  time  new  ones  are  issued  to  him.  The 
tool  report  well  repays  attention,  but  it  is  the 
one  most  frequently  lost  sight  of. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
FROGS,  SWITCHES  AND  SWITCH-STANDS. 

In  the  chapter  following  this,  and  among 
other  rules  and  tables,  will  be  found  a  simple, 
diagrammatic  method  of  laying  out  switches, 
together  with  explanations  of  frog  numbers, 
angles,  etc.  ;  here  we  shall  deal  only  with 
the  physical  characteristics  of  various  classes 
of  material. 

It  is  necessary  first,  however,  to  state  that  Frog 
all  switch  nomenclature  is  based  directly  upon  »n2Ies  and 
what  is  known  as  the  "number"  of  its  frog.  " 
In  other  words,  a  number  6  switch  lead  is  that 
lead  which  would  be  used  with  a  number  6  frog. 

There  are  many  kinds  of  switches  (almost  varieties  of 
all  of  them  patented),  which  it  is  impossible  to  switches. 
describe  here.  Most  of  them  are  intended  to 
keep  on  the  track  a  train  which  is  passing  over 
an  open  switch  in  a  trailing  direction.  From 
the  fact  that  none  of  them,  except  one  (the 
Wharton)  has  been  widely  used,  it  would 
appear  that  they  have  not  proved  more  valu- 
able than  the  simple  split  switch  which  is  now 
in  almost  universal  use  on  main  tracks  in  the 
United  States. 

The  Wharton  switch  was  designed  to  accom-  Wharton 
plish  two  things  in  particular :  first,  to  provide  8witch- 
an  unbroken  rail  for  trains  on  the  main  track ; 
second,  for  protecting  trains  approaching  an 
open  switch  in  a  trailing  direction,  and  these 
were    quite   successfully    done  but  at   a  cost 
which  caused  its  abandonment  in  most  locali- 
ties.    One  form  of    this  switch,  the   "  Robin- 
son-Wharton,"  illustrated  in  fig.  181,   differs 


166 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


FROGS,  SWITCHES  AND  SWITCH-STANDS.     167 

considerably  from  the  original,  in  having  its 
two  moving  rails  made  from  ordinary  ~[~-rails 
instead  of  from  specially  shaped  materials. 

Improved  designs  and  processes  of  inanufac-  split 
ture,  added  to  the  general  use  of  steel  in  rail-  switches. 
road  tracks  are  the  causes  which  have  tended 
to  produce  so  simple  and  satisfactory  an  article 
as  is  a  well-made  split  switch.  'There  is  illus- 
trated in  fig.  182  A  and  B  a  typical  split 
switch,  combining  in  many  of  its  details  the 
best  methods  known  at  the  present  time.  Some 
trackmen  prefer  flat  rods,  and  some  round 
rods  ;  some  wish  to  have  the  jaw  of  the  rod 
placed  on  the  switch  rod  fastenings  and  some 
prefer  to  have  it  on  the  switch  rod  itself. 
Generally  speaking,  the  less  moveable  parts 
there  are  about  a  switch  the  better,  and  in  the 
design  above  mentioned  there  is  not  a  single 
bolt,  nut  or  weld.  The  fastenings  are  riveted 
to  the  rail,  the  rods  are  formed  of  two  pieces 
of  flat  iron  riveted  together,  which,  being  sep- 
arated at  the  end,  form  jaws.  The  rods  and 
feet  are  connected  by  turned  pins  furnished 
with  cotters,  while  the  connecting  rod  and 
switch  rod  are  also  joined  by  a  turned  pin  and 
cotter. 

The  common  practice  of  using  four  and  switch 
even  five  rods  in  a  split  switch,  is  an  inherit-  rods- 
ance  from  the  old  stub  switch,  which  depended 
on  the  rods  to  hold  the  rails  together.  In  a 
split  switch  however,  the  rail  which  is  in  use, 
can  and  should  be  always  braced  on  the  out- 
side for  more  than  half  its  length  •  this 
renders  more  than  one  rod  an  unnecessary 
complication.  The  only  purpose  that  the 
additional  ones  could  possibly  serve  would  be 
to  hold  the  rails  together  in  case  of  a  break 

O 

and  it  is  hard  to  see  how  they  could  do  even 
this  much.  In  any  event  there  is  a  much 
better  plan,  that  of  reenforcement,  and  one 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


i  i 


O       I'Q) 


FROGS,  SWITCHES  AND  SWITCH-STANDS.     169 

wonders  why  any  of  the  old  four  or  five  rod    * 
switches  are  built. 

Two  ways  of  reenforcing  split  points  are  Reenforce= 
shown.  The  first,  at  C  in  fig.  182  is  the  most  ment- 
obvious  method  and  is  accomplished  by  rivet- 
ting  through  and  on  each  side  of  the  web,  two 
bars  of  steel.  Although  this  is  probably  inferi- 
or to  the  plan  shown  in  fig.  183,  it  is  far 
stronger  and  more  reliable  than  the  old 
method.  The  plan  illustrated  by  fig.  183,  has 
a  plain  bar  on  the  side  next  to  the  main  rail 
but  the  bar  on  the  other  side  is  replaced  by  a 
strip  of  angle  steel  to  which  the  switch  rod  is 
attached.  It  is  evident  that  the  horizontal 
flange  of  the  angle  is  much  stiffer  laterally  and 
lighter  than  the  flat  form  of  metal.  Two  par- 
ticular advantages  which  are  to  be  expected 
from  the  reenforcement  of  split  points,  through 
the  removal  of  the  switch  rods,  are  the  lessen- 
ing of  damage  from  dragging  brake-beams  and 
the  absence  of  interference  from  snow  and 
ice. 

Fig.  184,  although  not  a  split  switch  in  the  Stewart 
true  sense  of  the  term,  resembles  it  enough  to  8witch- 
entitle  it  to  a  place  in  the  same  class.     It  is 
rather  heavy,  since  but  little  of  the  head  and 
apparently  none  of  the  base  is  removed  ;   at 
the  same  time  its  construction   leads   one  to 
expect  great  strength  and  durability. 

Three-throw  switches  have  always  been  the  Three= 
bane  of  a  trackman's  life.     The  yardmen  like  throw 
them  because  they  save   running  about  and  switches, 
because  that  other  blessed  nuisance,  "  a  flying 
switch  "  can  be  made  through  them  so  easily. 
They  are  always  to  be  avoided  if  possible  and 
usually  can  be,  particularly  in  main  track,  al- 
though sometimes  a  set  of  circumstances  will 
be  met  where  no  other  solution  of  the  problem 
is  evident.      By  means  of  the  reenforcement  of 
the  points,  this  form  of  switch  has  been  robbed 


170  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

of  at  least  a  part  of  its  terrors  and  a  three- 
throw  switch  of  this  sort  is  shown  in  fig.  185. 


Three- 
throw  split 
switches. 


U  ~]  I 

I     c 

B 
I 


FROGS,  SWITCHES  AND  SWITCH-STANDS.     171 
PLAN  OF  RAILS 


SECTIONS 

n 


n  n 


u   u   u   u   u 


PLAN    OF  SWITCH 

FIG.  184.— Stewart's  Switch. 

The  throw  of  split  switches  should  not  be  Throw  of 
less  than  3-J  inches  nor  more  than  5  inches.  8witches- 
On  some  railroads  five  inches  is  preferred,  for 
the    reason   that   all    switch   stands,   whether 
for  stub  or  split  switches  may  then  be  inter- 
changeable   but    the    increasing    use    of  split 
switches    even   in   side    tracks   and   the    fact 
that  for  all   interlocking  the  throw  must    be 
small  leads  to  the  belief  that  3J  inches  is  the 
better  distance. 

The  adjustment  of  a  switch  may  take  place  Adjust= 
by  either  of  two  methods.  The  first  plan  is  ment* 
presented  in  fig.  186,  where  there  is  a  plate 
(shown  in  the  illustration)  containing  two 
holes  by  means  of  which  it  is  riveted  to  the 
switch  rod.  The  ends  of  the  plate  are  also 
bored  with  large  holes  and  bent  in  at  right 
angles.  Through  them  are  loosely  fitted  two 
sleeves  which  in  turn  are  mounted  upon  the 
connecting  rod  and  are  held  in  position  there 
by  four  nuts,  one  011  each  end  of  each  sleeve. 
The  switch  rod  may  move  through  the  plate 
only  an  amount  depending  on  the  distance 


172 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT,, 


FROGS,  SWITCHES  AND  SWITCH-STANDS. 


'  Y      .1 ' ' ,  1 1 ,  .',  YI'  ' ' '  i 


FIG.  186. — Union  Switch  and  Signal  Co.'s  Switch-throw  Adjustment. 

apart  of  the  sleeves,  since  it  is  stopped  on 
both  sides  by  onsets  on  the  outside  end  of 
each  sleeve.  The  switch  stand  must  always  switch- 
have  a  throw  somewhat  greater  than  the  throw  ad- 
throw  of  the  switch  and  one  advantage  of  this  J"stment- 
method  is  that  it  may  be  considerably  greater. 
If  an  adjustment  is  necessary  the  two  sleeves 
are  moved  away  from  or  toward  each  other 
depending  011  whether  the  throw  of  the  switch 
is  to  be  diminished  or  increased.  A  distinct 
disadvantage  of  this  plan  is  the  ease  with 
which  the  adjustment  can  be  made  (it  is  only 
necessary  to  turn  the  nuts)  whereas,  next  to 
destroying  the  switch,  the  adjustment  should 
be  made  as  inconvenient  as  possible,  since  in 
that  way  the  chance  of  someone's  tampering 
with  it  is  reduced.  But  on  the  other  hand  there 
is  with  this  plan  an  unbroken  switch  rod,  a 
condition  not  possible  in  the  method  next  to 
be  described.  Fig.  187,  presents  the  second 


FIG.  187.— Weir  Frog  Co.'s  Switch-throw  Adjustment. 


plan  and  that  is  by  means  of  a  turn-buckle, 
but  it  must  not  be  one  of  the  ordinary  form 
which  has  a  right  hand  thread  in  one  end  and 
a  left  hand  thread  in  the  other.  This  must 
have  either  a  right  or  left  hand  thread  at  both 


174 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Rail 
braces. 


Point 
guard- 
rails. 


Stub 
switches. 


ends  ;  then  if  the  jam  nuts  become  loose,  the 
turn-buckle  will  revolve  perhaps,  but  it  can- 
not change  the  throw  of  the  switch.  It  is 
therefore  evident  that  in  order  to  adjust  by 
this  method,  one  end  of  the  rod  must  be 
removed  from  its  rail. 

Not  less  than  five  rail  braces  as  in  fig.  182, 
should  be  used  on  each  side  of  a  split  switch 
and  in  connection  with  them  tie  plates  should 
always  be  provided  to  prevent  the  rail  from 
cutting  into  the  tie  and  to  form  a  surface  on 
which  the  split  rail  may  move  easily. 

If  the  track  is  properly  gaged  and  the 
switch  properly  put  in,  guard  rails  at  the 
point  should  not  be  necessary.  Since  the 
throw  of  a  split  switch  should  never  be  less 
than  3J  inches,  a  wheel  which  would  catch 
the  open  point  would  scarcely  pass  over  the 
numerous  highway  crossings  which  exist,  with- 
out being  derailed  at  one  of  them. 

The  stub  switch  is  composed  of  ordinary  T- 
rails  with  two  head  chairs  and  some  switch 
rods.  It  is  almost  unnecessary  to  say  that  it 
should  never  be  used  for  main  track  as  it  is 
dangerous  in  many  ways  and  is  extremely  dif- 
ficult to  maintain  under  a  heavy  traffic.  The 
best  practice  requires  that  the  head  chairs, 
188,  shall  be  of  wrought  iron,  wrought 


fig- 


FIG.  188.— Wrought  Stub  Switch  Chair. 


steel  (not  cast)  or  malleable  iron  ;  that  two 
bridle  rods  shall  be  used  and  that  the  switch 
rods  shall  be  formed  of  not  less  than  1-in, 


FROGS,  SWITCHES  AND  SWITCH-STANDS.     175 

round   or  square   metal.      The   throw  should 
be  5  in. 

The   arrangement   of  main   track   and  side  Frog  guard 
track  guard  rails  at  frogs  is  shown  in  fig.   189.  ralls- 


!  U  U  U!  U  0  U  U 


6  FT.    CURVED  ~*3FT. STRAIGHT^ 


—  6 FT.    CURfED- 


-Track  Gage  4'8/2"or4'9n—      » 

—Guard  Rail  Distance  4' 5"  Opposite  Frog  Point >j 

"Gage^""  ^pl 

FIG.  189.— Arrangement  of  Guard  Rails. 

They  should  be  respectively  15  ft.  and  10  ft. 
long,  with  their  centers  opposite  the  point 
of  the  frog.  Three  feet  of  the  main  track 
guard  rail  at  the  middle  portion  should  be 
straight,  spaced  2  in.  from  the  main  track 
rail  for  4  ft.  9  in.  track,  and  1|  in.  for  4  ft. 
8J  in.  track.  Side  track  guard  rails  should 
be  curved  in  the  same  general  way,  but  the 
straight  piece  three  feet  long  should  be  omitted. 
Not  less  than  six  braces  should  be  used  on 


176  THE  NEW  Ro  ADM  ASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Guard  main  track  nor  less  than  four  on  side  track 
guard  rails.  As  a  substitute  for  the  rail  brace 
(figs.  119  and  120)  at  guard  rails,  the  clamp, 
fig.  190,  is  suggested.  Although  more  ex- 


FIG.  190.—"  Standard  "  Guard  Rail  Fastener. 

pensive,  it  is  much  more  certain  and  efficient 
than  the  rail  brace. 

For  spacing  guard  rails  as  well  as  for  all 
other  track  spiking,  a  gage  is  necessary,  with 
*lugs  having  a  width  equal  to  the  distance 
between  the  guard  rail  and  the  main  track  rail 
heads.  Such  a  gage,  represented  in  fig.  151, 
is  simple  in  form,  inexpensive  and  more  im- 
portant still,  because  of  the  yoke,  it  acts  as  a 
square. 

Foot  Many  states  require  that  employees  shall  be 

guards.  protected  from  the  danger  due  to  frog  open- 
ings, but  whether  the  law  on  the  subject  is 
operative  or  not,  there  is  a  moral  obligation 
which  railroads  cannot  afford  to  ignore. 

These  openings  are  sometimes  closed  with 
wedges  of  wood  which  are  a  makeshift  at  best 
and  there  are  other  arrangements  which  are 
built  into  the  frog  and  may  be  purchased  of 
any  switch  and  frog  maker.  Still  other  forms 


FROGS,  SWITCHES  AND  SWITCH-STANDS.     177 

which  are  removable  are  Illustrated  in  figs.  191  Foot 
and  192.  «»**<**• 


End  view. 


Side  view. 

FIG.  191.— Foot  Guard  for  Frogs  and  Switches. 
(Roberts,  Throp  &  Co.) 

Of  these,  fig.  191  is  provided  with  springs 
for  the  purpose  of  holding  it  tightly  in  posi- 
tion. It  is  made  in  several  different  forms  to 
suit  the  particular  place  which  it  is  to  fill. 


FIG.  192.— Sheffield  Foot  Guard. 
(Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.) 

That  detail  shown  in  the  left-hand  portion  of 
fig.  192,  is  the  form  built  for  the  wing  spaces 
of  frogs  and  the  heels  of  switches.  The  right- 
hand  detail  is  for  the  crotches  of  frogs  and 
is  built  of  two  pieces,  hinged  at  one  end 
in  order  that  any  guard  may  be  adapted  to  a 
crotch  of  any  number. 


178 


Slip 
switches. 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


The    "slip    switch"    is    illustrated   in   two 
forms  in  figs.  193,  A  and  193,  B.  Its  main  object 


FIG.  193A.— Single  Slip  with  Rigid  Frogs. 


FIG.  193B.— Double  Slip  with  Movable  Frogs. 

is  for  the  economizing  of  track  room,  and  this 
it  does  in  a  complete  and  beautiful  manner. 
Fig.  193 A,  is  what  is  known  as  a  "single  slip 
with  rigid  frog"  and  evidently  provides  two 
routes  from  both  C  and  D,  but  only  one  route 
each  from  A  and  B.  In  fig.  193B,  which  is 
called  a  "  double  slip  with  movable  frog"  two 
routes  are  possible  from  all  four  of  the  en- 
trances E,  F,  G,  H. 

For  general  work  the  best  length  is  that 
which  would  be  used  in  connection  with  a 
No.  7  or  No.  8  frog.  If  a  frog  of  larger 
angle  is  used,  the  curves  become  too  sharp 
for  passenger  train  movements,  unless  the  gage 
of  the  track  is  widened.  When  the  frog 
angle  is  smaller  than  No.  8,  it  becomes  neces- 
sary to  use  movable  (fig.  193B)  frogs,  since 
trains  are  apt  to  be  derailed  by  taking  the 
wrong  side  of  one  of  the  rigid  double  pointed 
frogs,"x  in  figs.  193,  A  and  195.  The  movable 
frog  is  also  a  simpler,  cheaper,  better  and  safer 
device  than  the  rigid  frog. 


FROGS,  SWITCHES  AND  SWITCH-STANDS.     179 


There  are  few  places  where  either  of  figs, 
194  and  195  may  be  used  (for  they  are  inter- 


FIG.  194.— Movable  Frog. 


changeable  in  that  both  the  movable  frog  and 
the  rigid  frog,  X  m  ng-  195,  are  used  in  similar 
places)  at  which  the  movable  frog  would  not 
be  the  better  of  the  two.  The  movable  frog 
requires  110  guard  rails  because  there  is  no 
opening  at  the  point,  whereas  the  rigid  frog 
has  and  must  always  have  openings  between 
the  points,  and  these  cannot  be  protected.  The 
movable  frog  is  nothing  but  two  bent  rails  and 
two  sets  of  planed  points  ;  it  may  be  used  in 
connection  with  either  of  figs.  193,  A  and 
193,  B  or  alone,  as  at  a  simple  crossing ;  last 
but  not  least,  it  furnishes  a  continuous  rail  and 
makes  the  track  as  smooth  as  at  a  split  switch. 

For  larger  angles  than  are  possible  with  the  Continu- 
movable  frog  some  other  form  is  required  if  ous ' 
the  track  is  to  be  continuous.     Many  attempts 
have   been  made  to  fulfill  this  condition  but 
without  great  success,  commercially  at  least. 
But  if  grade   crossings  are  to  prevail  in  this 
country  some  means  is  needed  to  improve  their 
construction  and  behavior.     The  most  rational 


crossings. 


180 


THE  NEW  Ho  ADM  ASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


FROGS,  SWITCHES  AND  SWITCH-STANDS.     181 
and  substantial   of  the   continuous-rail,  wide-  Continu 


ous  rail 


angle  crossings  is  represented  in  fig.  196,  and  crossings. 


FIG.  196. — Fontaine  Crossing. 

consists  of  four  revolving  turrets,  supported  in 
a  wrought-steel  frame  and  carrying  rail  heads 
on  their  tops. 

The  narrow-angle  crossing  has  already  been  Rigid 
shown  and  spoken  of  in  connection  with  fig. 
195.     The  wide-angle  crossing  is  illustrated  in 
fig.  197.     It  is  impossible  here,  to  discuss  the 


FIG.  197.— Wide  Angle  Crossing. 


182 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Street 

railroad 

crossings. 


different  methods  of  construction,  which  are 
numberless,  complicated  and  would  require  a 
book  in  themselves.  Suffice  it  then  to  say  that 
the  heaviest,  strongest  crossing  cannot  be  too 
strong  for  the  work  it  must  perform. 

The  intersection  of  steam  railroads  by  electric 
street  railroads  requires  a  crossing  of  a  some- 
what different  construction  from  that  in  ordi- 
nary use.  Fig.  198  illustrates  a  crossing  which 


SECTION-X.Y. 


Crossing 
founda- 
tions. 


FIG.  198. — Steam  Railroad  and  Street  Railroad  Crossing. 

is  designed  for  this  purpose  and  is  very  strong. 
A  is  the  main  rail  of  the  steam  railroad,  B  is 
a  reenforcing  rail  to  carry  the  worn  treads  of 
the  steam  cars  over  without  damage  to  the 
electric  car  rail  D,  and  C  is  the  guard  rail  of 
the  steam  railroad.  A  full-sized  flange- way  is 
left  for  the  steam  trains  but  a  small  notch  only 
is  cut  for  the  electric  €ars  at  E. 

All  crossings,  of  whatever  kind,  should  be 
placed  on  substantial  white  oak  and  broken 
stone  foundations,  for  they  are  the  most  diffi- 
cult parts  of  a  railroad  track  to  keep  up. 


FROGS,  SWITCHES  AND  SWITCH-STANDS.     183 

The  single  pointed  or  "  switch-frog  "  is  made  switch 
in   two   general  forms,   commonly   known  as  frogs< 
"  rigid  "  and  "  spring-rail "  and  these  are  again 
subdivided  according  to  the  way  in  which  the 
rails  are  put  together.    Figs.  199,  200  and  201 


FIG.  199.— Rigid  Plate  Frog. 


FIG.  200.— Rigid  Yoke  Frog. 

show  respectively  a  "  riveted  plate  "  frog,  a 
"clamped"  (or  "yoke")  frog  and  a  "bolted" 
frog,  all  of  them  "rigid."  Of  these  three 
forms  the  "  yoke  "  is  probably  the  best  and  the 
"plate"  frog  the  least  desirable,  since  the  ties 
must  be  cut  out  to  receive  it. 


184  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


FIG.  201.— Rigid  Bolted  Frog. 

spring-rail      The  spring  rail  frog,  which  is  intended  to 

frogs.         furnish  a  continuous  rail  on  the  main  track,  is 

also  built  as  a   "plate,"   "yoke"   and  bolted 

fro"-.     Through  faults  of  design,  as  is  believed 

O  O  O      7 

by  many  persons,  the  spring-rail  frog  was  the 
cause  of  some  serious  wrecks,  which  did  much 
to  discredit  its  use  on  several  important  rail- 
roads. But  notwithstanding  this  it  has  been 
continued  in  service  by  the  larger  portion  of 
our  lines,  until  now  its  construction  has  been 
so  improved,  and  its  parts  so  strengthened 
that  it  is  safe  to  recommend  its  use  when  prop- 
erly designed  and  built.  A  typical  spring  rail 
frog  is  illustrated  in  fig.  202.  This  particular 
form  (which  is  the  commonest)  requires  that 
the  spring  rail  T  H  shall  be  unspiked  and  free 
to  move  sideways,  held  only  by  the  splices  at 
T,  the  springs  S  S  and  the  guides  G  G.  To 
obviate  this  necessity  another  method  has  been 
devised,  illustrated  in  fig.  203,  which  permits 
the  main-track  rail  to  be  fastened  to  the  ties  as 
far  as  T.  The  spring  rail  is  pivoted  at  A  and 
opposed  by  the  spring  at  B.  A  variation  of 
this  form  places  a  hinge  at  P  and  the  spring 


FROGS,  SWITCHES  AND  SWITCH-STANDS.     185 


H 


Spring~rail 
frogs. 


FIG.  202.— Typical  Spring  Rail  Frog. 

nearer  A,  while  still  another  kind  following 
the  same  idea  is  exhibited  in  fig.  204.  Within 
the  last  few  years  a  small  number  of  double 
spring-rail  frogs  have  been  built  and  these  pro- 
vide a  continuous  rail  for  both  tracks.  They 
are  not  much  needed  except  in  busy  yards 
and  at  the  entrances  to  terminal  passenger 
stations. 

In  ordering  frogs,   the   number   (or  angle)  Ordering 
and  the  total  length  of  the  frog,  the  gage  of frogs- 
the  track,  the  section  and  drilling  of  the  rail 
should   be  given,   and  if   a   spring-rail   frog, 
whether   a  "right  hand"  or  "left  hand"    is 
desired.      This  is  determined  by  standing  at 
the  head  of  the  switch  and  looking  toward 
the  frog.      It  will  then  be  seen  whether  the 
frog  is  to  go  into  the  rail  upon  the  right  hand 
or  into  the  rail  upon  the  left  hand.     In  short 


186 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER  s  ASSISTANT. 


Spring-rail 
frogs. 


FROGS,  SWITCHES  AND  SWITCH-STANDS.     187 


Spring- rail 
frogs. 


188 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


switch 
stands 


fig.  203,  is  a  right  hand  and  fig.  204,  a  left 
hand  frog. 

Automatic  Switch  stands  may  be  divided  into  two  gen- 
eral classes,  automatic  and  rigid.  Automatic 
stands  are  those  which  if  set  wrong  will  be 

O 

thrown  by  the  train  itself  whether  going  over 
the  main  track  or  the  side  track  route.  Two 
of  them,  both  operated  by  a  concealed  spring, 
are  shown  in  fig.  205  (a  high  stand)  and  in 
fig.  206  (a  low  stand).  A  second  form  of  low 


205.— Eamapo  High  Automatic  Switch  Stand. 


FIG.  206. — Ramapo  Low  Automatic  Switch  Stand. 

automatic  stand  in  which  the  throwing  mech- 
anism consists  of  gearing,  is  shown  in  fig.  207, 
while  still  another  where  the  mechanism  is 
also  of  gearing  (somewhat  differently  ar- 


FROGS,  SWITCHES  AND  SWITCH-STANDS. 

ranged  from  that  in  fig.  207)  is  exhibited  in  fig.  Automatic 
208.    Fig.  207,  combined  with  a  high  target,  is 


FIG.  207.— Pennsylvania  Steel  Co.  Automatic  Switch  Stand 
and  High  Target. 


FIG.  208.— Eclipse  Automatic  Switch  Stand. 

an  extremely  good  arrangement,  since  it  can  be 
seen  at  a  greater  distance  than  low  targets,  and 


190 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Switch 
stands. 


will  almost  always  distinguish  main  line  from 
other  switches.  All  of  the  previous  stands  are 
intended  for  single-throw  split  switches,  but 
fig.  209  is  to  be  used  at  three-throw  split 
switches. 


(209) 


(210)  (211) 

(Weir  Frog  Co.  Three-Throw  Stands.) 
FIG.  209.— Low,  For  Split  Switches. 
FIG.  210.— Low,  For  Stub. Switches. 

FIG.  211. — High,  For  Stub  Switches,  with  Target-Throwing  Attach- 
ment. 


Rigid 
stands. 


Figs.  210  and  211  show  ingenious  stands 
especially  intended  for  stub  switches.  Fig.  211 
is  to  be  particularly  recommended  since  by 
means  of  the  cog  wheels  on  its  top  plate,  the 
target  is  made  to  show  red  for  both  side  tracks, 
no  matter  whether  the  main  track  is  in  the 
center  or  not.  This  is  an  impossibility  with 
the  ordinary  three-throw  switch  stand.  These 
target-moving  cogs  may  also  be  applied  to 


FROGS,  SWITCHES  AND  SWITCH-STANDS      191 

fig.  209.     The  old  reliable  "jack  knife"  stand  Switch 
which  may  be  used  anywhere  and  with  any  stands- 
target,  single  switch  or  movable  frog,  is  illus- 
trated in  fig.  212.    It  is  the  best  representative 


FIG.  212.— Jack-Knife  Switch  Stand. 

of  the  rigid  stand  except  at  busy  switches 
where  deep  snow  is  to  be  expected,  at  which 
points  the  harp  stand,  fig.  213,  may  be  sub- 
stituted. 


FIG.  213.— Harp  Stand  for  Single  or  Three-Throw  Switches. 

The   switch   lamps    and    the    signal   lamps  switch 
should  not  be  taken  from  the  stands  in  the 


192  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

switch  morning  until  the  fargcts  can  be  seen  for  a  con- 
lamps.  siderable  distance.  They  should  be  cleaned 
and  filled  every  day  and  the  wick  should  be 
trimmed  by  rubbing,  not  by  cutting  it ;  finally 
the  lamps  should  be  lighted  and  allowed  to 
stand  for  at  least  half  an  hour  in  the  evening, 
before  being  taken  out,  so  as  to  make  it  cer- 
tain that  they  will  not  smoke. 

On  some  roads  it  might  appear  to  an  ob- 
server that  the  switch  lamps  are  put  up  more 
as  a  formality  than  for  actual  use.  The  writer 
believes  that  one  of  the  most  frequent  causes 
for  their  going  out  is  loose  head  blocks  which 
are  left  untamped  at  the  end  under  the  switch 
stand  and  this  is  evidently  an  easy  matter  to 
correct.  A  Limp  of  bad  construction  or  poor 
oil  the  trackman  is  of  course  not  responsible  for. 


THl 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
EMERGENCIES  AND  TRAIN  SIGNALS. 

Since  nearly  everything  which  can  happen 
to  stop  the  traffic  of  a  railroad  will,  in  some 
particular,  damage  the  permanent  way,  the 
presence  of  the  trackmen  will  usually  be  re- 
quired to  make  repairs.  It  follows,  therefore, 
that  they  must  be  prepared  at  all  times  to  turn 
out  in  full  force  with  the  tools  and  materials 
necessary  for  the  work.  The  tool-house  should 
be  placed  next  to  a  track  which  is  not  used  for 
standing  cars.  The  tools  of  all  kinds  should 
be  kept  at  hand  and  in  good  order  while  the 
men  should  live  within  easy  call  of  the  section- 
foreman. 

On  each  section,  some  rails,   bolts,   spikes,  Extra 
anofle  bars  and  cross  ties  should  be  stored  in  matenal- 

O 

convenient  and  safe  places  to  meet  the  sudden 
demand  caused  by  train  wrecks,  floods,  land- 
slides, and  so  forth.  At  the  subdivision  head- 
quarters there  should  be  kept  on  hand  some 
timbers  of  different  lengths,  preferably  12  in. 
square,  since  that  is  the  most  useful  size. 

If  the  seat  of  trouble  is  not  more  than  fif-  Getting 
teen  miles  from  the  tool-house,  the  trackmen 
upon  being  notified  should  start  at  once  on 
their  hand-cars,  rousing  those  gangs  whose 
houses  they  pass  and  who  are  not  located  near 
a  telegraph  office.  When  a  large  force  is  re- 
quired it  will  probably  pay  to  start  an  engine 
and  car  to  pick  up  the  most  distant  gangs, 
unless  the  wrecking  train  must  pass  over  that 
track. 


194 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Wrecking 
force. 


Knots. 


Because  most  roads  have  a  regularly  organ- 
ized wrecking  crew  made  up  from  the  car 
repairers  or  some  other  class  of  men  who  are 
familiar  with  the  construction  of  rolling  stock, 
it  is  not  likely  that  the  maintenance-of-way 
force  will  be  called  upon  to  do  much  indepen- 
dent work  of  this  kind.  Trackmasters  and 
section-foremen  nevertheless  should  familiarize 
themselves  with  the  general  features  of  clear- 
ing up  wrecks  of  all  kinds ;  how  to  move 
heavy  weights,  how  to  tie  different  kinds  of 
knots,  the  best  way  of  putting  a  derailed  car 
on  the  track  and  the  use  of  a  block  and  tackle. 

Seven  different  kinds  of  knots  are  shown  in 
fig.  214  :  A  is  a  square  knot  which  will  not 


FIG.  214.— Rope  Knots. 

slip  and  is  used  in  joining  the  ends  of  two  ropes, 
but  it  is  difficult  to  untie.  Most  persons 
attempting  to  tie  a  square  knot  fail,  and  make 
a  "  granny  knot,"  which  will  slip.  The  failure 
is  due  to  winding  the  short  ends  together  in 
the  reverse  way.  A  few  experiments  with  a 
string  will  teach  one  how  not  to  do  it.  B 
and  C  are  alike  and  for  the  same  purpose, 
except  that  the  rope  x  takes  one  more  turn 
in  C  than  it  does  in  B.  These  knots  may 
either  of  them  be  used  with  a  loop,  as  in  B,  to 


EMERGENCIES.     195 

join  the  ends  of  two  ropes  or  to  fasten  a  rope  Knots, 
x  to  the  middle  of  a  rope  y-z  as  in  C.  E  and 
G  are  two  methods  of  fastening  to  a  tree,  post 
or  cross  tie.  E  is  a  slip-noose,  and  G  is  a 
bow-line  loop,  which  does  not  slide.  Both 
will  untie  readily  Avith  a  large  rope.  F  is  seen 
to  be  for  attaching  the  end  of  a  rope  to  the 
hook  of  a  block.  All  of  this  will  prove  useful 
knowledge,  not  only  when  trackmen  are  called 
upon  to  do  actual  train- wrecking  but  in  regu- 
lar maintemmce-of-Avay  service  as  well. 

Upon  arriving  at  the  place  where  traffic  is  Duties  at 
stopped,  the  first  thing  to  do  is  to  make  sure  awreck- 
that  flagmen  are  so  placed  as  to  warn  trains  in 
time   to   prevent  any   further  trouble.     At  a 
wreck,  the  trainmen  themselves  are  expected 
to  perform  this  duty  but  that  fact  should  not 
prevent  roadmasters  and  section-foremen  from 
seeing  that  the  matter  is  receiving  attention. 
Safety  is,  in  all  questions  connected  with  a  rail- 
road, the  first  consideration. 

The  procurance  of  material  for  repairs  should  use  of 
receive  early  attention  in  order  that  the  track  materia!- 
may  be  made  ready  for  trains  as  fast  as  the 
obstructions  are  removed.  Material  should 
be  used  carefully  at  all  times  but  in  emergencies 
it  may  be  necessary  to  ignore  many  ordinary 
ideas  of  cost  for  the  sole  object  of  putting  the 
track  and  road-bed  into  a  condition  for  the 
resumption  of  traffic.  For  instance,  in  the  case 
of  a  washout  where  it  may  be  better  to  fill 
the  opening  with  crib  work  built  of  new  ties 
than  to  wait  until  dumping  material  can  be 
secured. 

In  the  meantime  those  men  who  are  not  Orderly 
doing  flag  duty,  or  absent  after  material, 
should  turn  in  and  help  in  every  possible  way. 
A  ready  obedience  should  be  granted  to  the 
person  in  authority  at  the  time  and  no  depart- 
ment jealousy  should  be  allowed  to  interfere 


196 


Repairs  to 
track. 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

with  the  work  in  hand.  Shouting  and  swear- 
ing by  the  foremen,  grumbling  or, shirking  by 
the  men  should  not  be  permitted.  Everyone 
on  the  ground  should  work  hard,  cheerfully 
and,  with  the  exception  of  those  directing  the 
work,  in  silence. 

The  track  at  a  wreck  should  be  roughly 
straightened  as  fast  as  the  wreckage  is  cleared 
away  but  general  repairs  should  not  be 
attempted  until  the  way  is  clear  and  no  more 
car  bodies  or  tenders  are  to  be  skidded  on  the 
rails  or  dragged  along  the  ties. 

Steel  rails  which  have  been  distorted  in  any 
way  by  a  sudden  blow  can  never  be  safe  for 
the  main  track  unless  cut  and  spliced  at  the 
bend,  which  is  bad  practice  for  it  makes  one 
more  joint  to  keep  up.  They  should  therefore 
be  taken  out  before  fast  traffic  is  resumed  and 
replaced  with  sound  metal. 

The  final  repairs  to  a  piece  of  damaged  track 
should  be  made  before  withdrawing  the  men, 
even  temporarily,  if  it  is  a  possible  thing.  The 
track  should  be  re-lined,  re-surfaced,  fully  spiked 
'and  bolted,  and  if  it  is  a  train  wreck  which 
caused  the  damage,  that  part  of  the  wreckage- 
which  is  of  no  value,  should  be  got  out  of  the 
way  immediately,  in  order  to  remove  it  from  the 
public  eye,  which  is  quick  to  see  and  comment 
on  such  things. 


FIG.  215. — Alexander  Car-Replacer. 


TRAIN  SIGNALS.     197 

On  smaller  railroads  where  there  is  no 
regular  wrecking  force,  the  trackmen  will  be 
forced  to  act  in  many  cases  which  would  ordi- 
narily be  out  of  their  province.  Under  such 
conditions  many  tools  will  be  required,  not 
usually  included  in  the  maintenance-of-way 
list.  Among  the  most  important  of  these  is  a 
car-replacer,  and  one  of  many  forms  is  shown 
in  fig.  215. 

TRAIN  SIGNALS. 

It  is  a  necessary  part  of  the  equipment  of  a 
roadrnaster,  supervisor  or  section-foreman  that 
he  shall  be  acquainted  with  the  rules  govern- 
ing the  use  of  signals  of  all  kinds  and  for  this 
reason  certain  of  the  rules  contained  in  the 
Standard  Code  are  inserted  here  as  follows : 

All   employees   whose   duties    may    require  General 
them  to  give  signals  must  provide  themselves  ™struc= 
with  the  proper  appliances,  and  keep  them  in 
good  order  and  always  ready  for  immediate 
use.     Flags  of  the  proper  color  must  be  used 
by  day,  and  lamps  of  the  proper  color  by  night 
or  whenever  from  fog  or  other  cause  the  clay 
signals  cannot  be  clearly  seen. 

Red  signifies  clanger  and  is  a  signal  to  stop. 

Green  signifies  caution  and  is  a  signal  to  <ro 

i      i  e<          >  e 

slowly. 

White  signifies  safety  and  is  a  signal  to  go  on. 
Green  and  white  is  a  signal  to  be  used  to 

O 

stop  trains  at  flag  stations  for  passengers  or 
freight. 

Blue  is  a  signal  to  be  placed  on  a  car  or 
an  engine  to  forbid  its  being  moved. 

A  torpedo  placed  011  the  top  of  the  rail,  is  Torpedoes 

a  signal  to  be  used  in  addition  to  the  regular  and  fusees- 

.    °  i 
signals. 

The  explosion  of  one  torpedo  is  a  signal  to 
stop  immediately  ;  the  explosion  of  two  tor- 


198  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

pedoes  not  more  than  200  feet  apart  is  a  signal 
to  reduce  speed  immediately,  and  look  out  for 
a  danger  signal. 

A  fusee  is  a  signal  which  may  be  used  in 
addition  to  the  torpedoes  or  other  signals. 

A  flag  or  lamp  swung  across  the  track,  a  hat 
or  any  object  waved  violently  by  any  person 
on  the  track,  signifies  danger  and  is  a  signal 
to  stop. 

Train  flags       Each  train,  while  running,  must  display  two 

and  lamps.  green  fl{lgs  ^y  day  anj  two  green  lights  by 

night,  one  on  each  side  of  the  rear  of  the  train, 

as  markers,  to  indicate  the  rear  of  the  train. 

Yard  engines  will  not  display  markers. 

Each  train  running  after  sunset,  or  when 
obscured  by  fog  or  other  cause,  must  display 
the  head-light  in  front,  and  two  or  more  red 
lights  in  the  rear.  Yard  engines  must  display 
two  green  lights  instead  of  red,  except  when  pro- 
vided with  a  head-light  on  both  front  and  rear. 

Two  green  flags  by  day  and  night  and,  in 
addition,  two  green  lights  by  night,  displayed 
in  the  places  provided  for  that  purpose  on  the 
'front  of  an  engine,  denote  that  the  train  is  fol- 
lowed by  another  train,  running  on  the  same 
schedule  and  entitled  to  the  sa-nic  time-table 
rights  as  the  train  carrying  the  signals. 

Two  white  flags  by  day  and  night  and,  in 
addition,  two  white  lights  by  night,  displayed 
in  the  places  provided  for  that  purpose  on  the 
front  of  an  engine,  denote  that  the  train  is  an 
extra.  These  signals  must  be  displayed  by  all 
extra  trains,  but  not  by  yard  engines. 

A  blue  flag  by  day  and  a  blue  light  by 
night,  placed  on  or  at  the  end  of  a  car,  engine 
or  train,  denote  that  workmen  are  at  work 
under  or  about  the  car,  engine  or  train.  The 
car,  engine  or  train  thus  protected  must  not  be 
coupled  to  or  moved  until  the  bine  signal  is 
removed  by  the  person  who  placed  it. 


TRAIN  SIGNALS.     199 

When  a  car,  engine  or  train  is  protected  by 
a  blue  signal,  other  cars  must  not  be  placed 
in  front  of  it,  so  that  the  blue  signal  will  be 
obscured,  without  first  notifying  the  workman, 
that  he  may  protect  himself. 

One  long  blast  of  the  whistle  is  the  signal  whistle 
for  approaching  stations,  railroad  crossings  and  sisnals- 
junctions  (thus,  ). 

One  short  blast  of  the  whistle  is  the  signal 
to  apply  the  brakes — stop  (thus,  -). 

Two  long  blasts  of  the  whistle  is  the  signal 
to  throw  off  the  brakes  (thus, ). 

Two  short  blasts  of  the  whistle  is  an  answer 
to  any  signal,  except  "train  parted"  (thus,  — ). 

Three  long  blasts  of  the  whistle  is  a  signal  that 
the  train  has  parted  (thus, ). 

Three  short  blasts  of  the  whistle,  when  the 
.train  is  standing,  is  a  signal  that  the  train  will 
back  (thus, ). 

Four  long  blasts  of  the  whistle  (thus, 


-)  is  the  signal  to  call  in  a  flag- 
man from  the  west  or  south. 

Four  long  followed  by  one  short  blast  of  the 

whistle  (thus, --)  is  the 

signal  to  call  in  a  flagman  from  the  east  or 
north. 

Four  short  blasts  of  the  whistle  is  the  engine- 
man's  call  for  signals  from  switch-tenders, 
watchmen,  trainmen  and  others  (thus, ). 

Five  short  blasts  of  the  whistle  is  a  signal  to 
the  flagman  to  go  back  and  protect  the  rear  of 
the  train  (thus, ). 

One  long  followed  by  two  short  blasts  of 
the  whistle  is  a  signal  to  be  given  by  trains 
when  displaying  signals  for  a  following  train, 
to  call  the  attention  of  trains  to  the  signals 
displayed  (thus, ). 

Two  long  followed  by  two  short  blasts  of  the 
whistle  is  the  signal  for  approaching  road 
crossings  at  grade  (thus, ). 


200  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

A  succession  of  short  blasts  of  the  whistle 

is  an  alarm  for  persons  or  cattle  on  the  track, 

and  calls  the  attention  of  trainmen  to  danger 

ahead. 

Hand  and         A  lamp  swung  across  the  track  is  a  signal 


A  lamp  raised  and  lowered  vertically  is  the 
signal  to  move  ahead. 

A  lamp  swung  vertically  in  a  circle  across 
the  track,  when  the  train  is  standing,  is  the 
signal  to  move  back. 

A  lamp  swung  vertically  in  a  circle  at  arm's 
length  across  the  track,  when  the  train  is  run- 
ning, is  the  signal  that  the  train  has  parted. 

A  flag,  or  the  hand,  moved  in  any  of  the 
directions  given  above,  will  indicate  the  same 
signal  as  given  by  a  lamp. 


CHAPTER  XV. 
FIXED  SIGNALS. 

The  practice  of  placing  fixed  signals  on  the 
Hue  of  a  railroad  is  becoming  so  general  that 
trackmen  should  be  acquainted  with  the  sig- 
nificance and  appearance  of  the  most  modern 
kinds.  No  attempt  will  be  made  in  this  chap- 
ter to  explain  many  details  of  construction;  for 
the  maintenance  of  signal  plants  on  most  large 
railroads  is  now,  and  should  remain,  under  a 
separate  department. 

AH  of  the  railroad  signals  with  which  we  now  Purpose  of 
deal  are  for  the  general  purpose  of  maintaining  8|2nals- 
a,  safe  interval  of  space  between  moving  trains, 
in  order  that  they  shall  not  collide,  and  this  is 
effected  in  two  ways.  First,  by  interlocking 
signals,  which  relate  solely  to  trains  running 
upon  separate  but  converging  tracks.  Second, 
by  block  signals  (for  description  see  page  224), 
which  refer  only  to  trains  running  upon  the 
same  track.  The  '-signals"  to  be  described,  are 
devices  located  at  fixed  points,  close  to  the  line 
of  a  railroad,  for  telling  the  men  in  charge  of 
a  train  whether  or  not  the  track  they  are  upon 
is  ready  for  their  occupation  beyond  the  point 
at  which  the  signal  is  placed.  These  signals 
are  said  to  "command,"  "govern"  or  "con- 
trol "  the  movement  of  trains  over  the  tracks 
to  which  they  relate,  and  trainmen  are  said  to 
be  "governed"  or  "controlled"  by  the  sig- 
nals as  they  pass  from  one  point  to  another  on 
the  tracks  of  a  railroad. 


202 


THE  NEW  Ro  ADM  ASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Inter- 
locking. 


Interlocking  signals  are  those  which  are 
made  to  work  in  connection  with  the  shifting 
parts  of  a  railroad  track,  such  as  movable  frogs 
and  switches.  They  are  so  arranged  that, 
first,  no  train  shall  proceed  until  all  of  the 
tracks  have  been  placed  in  their  proper  posi- 
tion ;  second,  no  train  shall  proceed  until  all 
other  trains  which  might  collide  with  it  have 
been  warned  to  stop  ;  third,  none  of  the  shift- 
ing parts  of  a  track  can  be  moved  so  long  as 
a  signal  gives  the  indication  to  proceed.  The 
term  "interlocking,"  therefore,  refers  to  the 
relation  which  exists  between  the  movable 
parts  of  a  system  of  tracks  and  the  signals 
which  control  the  operation  of  trains  through 
that  system. 


Names  of 
signals. 


Machine. 


FIG.  216  —Single  Track  Joined  by  Side  Track. 

Fig.  216  is  a  conventional  drawing  ot  a  single 
main  track  joined  by  a  siding.  It  is  sufficient 
now  to  give  the  names  of  the  different  parts, 
because  their  office  and  construction  will  )m 
explained  further  on.  In  fig.  216  numbers 
2A  and  B  and  7 A  are  home  signals  ;  7B  is  a 
dwarf  signal ;  1  and  8  are  distant  signals,  4  is 
a  switch,  5  is  a  facing-point  lock,  while  num- 
bers 3  and  6  are  not  used  but  are  retained  as 
spare  levers  in  the  machine,  fig.  217. 

All  of  these  devices  are  operated  by  a  col- 
lection of  levers  placed  side  by  side  in  a  com- 
mon frame.  This  collection  is  called  a  machine 
and  is  located  in  a  buildin  conveniently 


situated     (see    fig.    216)    known    as    a    cabin. 
Forming   a  part  of  the   machine   arc   various 


FIXED  SIGNALS.     20B 


pieces  spoken  of  as  "the  interlocking"  which,  inter 
following  the  motion  of  the  levers,  interfere 


FIG.  217. — Interlocking  Machine. 

with  each  other  after  a  certain  manner  and 
accomplish  the  purposes  named  in  the  forego- 
ing paragraph  entitled  "  Interlocking." 

The    signals  used  in    interlocking  are  sem-  Descrip- 
aphores,    that   is    arms    (also    called    blades), 
projecting  from  a  vertical  post  and  so  pivoted 


tion  of 
signals. 


204 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Home 
signal. 


to  it  as  to  be  capable  of  swinging  up  and 
down.  Semaphores  are  of  three  styles,  home, 
distant  and  dwarf.  The  home  signal,  fig.  218, 


FIG.  218— Home  Signal. 

is  an  arm  about  5  ft.  long  by  8  in.  wide  with 
a  square  end,  painted  red  (usually)  on  the  face 
and  white  on  the  back  ;  placed  about  25  ft. 
above  the  rail  and  if  possible  to  the  right  of 
the  track  which  it  controls.  When  more  than 
one  arm  is  placed  on  a  post,  fig.  216,  No.  2, 


FIXED  SIGNALS.     205 

the  upper  arm  is  for  the  most  important  track  Home 
(sometimes  called  "route"  in  this  connection)  si»nal- 
and  the  lower  arm  is  for  all  other  routes  which 
connect  with  that  track  and  at  the  same  time 
come  under  the  control  of  that  signal.     The 
home   signal  is  used  only  for  movements  on 
main  track.      On  double  track,  fig.   219,  the 
home  signal  is  used  in  only  one  direction  for 
each  track.     On  single  track,  the  home  signal 


FIG.  219. — Home  Signals  on  Double  and  Single  Track. 

is  used  for  both  directions,  since  trains  are 
run  in  both  directions.  To  indicate  danger, 
see  fig.  218,  the  arm  stands  horizontally  and 
shows  a  red  light  (usually)  at  night ;  to 
indicate  safety  the  arm  is  inclined  about  65 
deg.  from  the  horizontal  and  shows  a  white 
light  (usually)  at  night. 

The  distant  signal,  fig.  220,  is  an  arm  about  Distant 
5  ft,  long  by  8  in.  wide  with  a  notched  end,  si«nal- 
painted  green  (usually)  on  the  face  and  white 
on  the  back  ;  placed  at  the  same  height  as  the 
home  signal,  about  1,500  feet  away  from  it, 
and  on  that  side  of  the  home  signal  first  reached 
by  the  trains  which  it  governs.  It  is  used  only 
in  conjunction  with  some  particular  arm  of  a 
home  signal,  never  alone,  and  merely  for  the 
purpose  of  warning  enginemen  as  to  the  prob- 
able position  of  that  home  signal.  It  indicates 
either  caution  (go  slowly)  or  safety  by  the 
positions  shown  "in  fig.  220  in  the  day  time. 
At  night,  caution  is  indicated  by  a  green 


206 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Distant       light  (usually)  and   safety  by  a   white  light 
signal.        (usually). 


Fm.  220.— Distant  Signal. 

Dwarf  The  dwarf  signal,  fig.  221,  is  a  blade  about 

signal.  i  ft  long,  with  a  square  end,  painted  red 
(usually)  on  the  face  and  white  on  the  back. 
It  is  placed  about  3  ft.  above  the  rail  and  us- 
ually to  the  right  of  the  track  that  it  governs. 
It  is  used  only  for  train  movements  against  the 
usual  direction  of  the  traffic  on  double  main 


FIXED  SIGNALS.     207 

track,  but   never   on  single    main   track,   see  Dwarf 
fig.  219,  and  it  is  used  to  control  all  move-  8|£nal- 


'STOP) 


FIG.  221.— Dwarf  Signal. 

ments  in  any  direction  on  "side"  tracks. 
The  dwarf  signal  gives  its  indications  by  the 
same  relative  positions  and  lights  that  are  used 
by  the  home  signal.  It  seldom  carries  more 
than  one  arm  and  this  one  governs  all  routes 
over  which  it  has  control. 

On  almost  all  railroads  in  this  country,  sem-  Pointing 
aphore  arms  point  to  the  right  when   viewed  of  arms> 
from  approaching  trains  which  they  govern, 
and,   although    a    semaphore  post  may   carry 
arms  which  govern  trains  moving  in  opposite 
directions,  as  in  fig.  222,  a  certain  arm  never 
governs  trains  moving  in  opposite  directions. 


FIG.  222. — Semaphore  controlling  trains  from  both  directions. 

No  two  home  signals  which  are  located  on  the 
same  post,  as  in  fig.  216,  No.  2,  can  be  lowered 
at  the  same  time. 

No  ordinary  semaphore  posts,  such  as  are  Bracket 
shown  in  fig.  216,  Nos.  1,  2A  and  B,  7A  and  posts' 


208  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER  s  ASSISTANT. 

Bracket      B,  ever  control  trains  moving  on  more  than 
posts.         one   track.      When  it    is   necessary  to    do    so 
a  special  post  called  a  "bracket-post"  is  pro- 
vided,  see  fig.  223,  where  a  siding  stands  so 


MAIN  -TRACK 


S/Of    TRACK 


[A 
u 
FIG.  223.— Bracket  Post. 


close  to  a  main  track  that  it  is  impossible  to 
place  a  post  between  them.  The  arm  A  there- 
fore controls  trains  moving  to  the  right  on  the 
main  track  and  the  "dummy"  upright  U, 
which  carries  a  blue  light  at  night,  indicates 
•that  the  side  track  is  not  signalled. 
Movement  \\\  fig.  216  all  of  the  interlocked  parts  are 
of  trams.  S}1OW11  ju  what  is  called  their  "normal"  posi- 
tion. This  corresponds  to  the  forward  position 
of  the  levers  in  the  machine.  It  will  be  noted 
that  the  signals  are  all  at  danger  and  the  switch 
is  set  for  the  main  track  as  indicated  by  the 
flare,  thus  : 


If  the  switch  were  set  normally  for  the  sFdo 
track,  a  thing  often  done,  it  would  be  indicated 
by  a  flare  thus  : 


In  the  case  of  the  facing-point  lock,  Xo.  5, 
fig.  224,  since  the  switch  is  always  unlocked 


FIG.  224.— Tracks  and  Signals. 

when  the  facing-point  lock  lever  is  "  normal  " 
(that  is   "  torward  ")  and  unlocked  when  the 


FIXED  SIGNALS.     209 

facing-point  lock   lever  is   "reversed,"   or  in  riovement 
other  words    "pulled   back,"   the  position  ofoftrains- 
the  facing-point  lock  needs  no  other  identifica- 
tion on  the  drawing  than  to  merely  show  its 
presence. 

If  now  a  train  bound  for  X  were  to  approach 
from  Y,  it  should  find  the  signals  set  as  in  fig. 
224,  which,  because  the  distant  signal  1  and  the 
home  signal  2  A  are  "  inclined  "  (also  expressed 
as  "  cleared,"  "dropped."  "  lowered  ")  would 
indicate  that  the  main  track  route  had  been 
cleared  throughout  the  system.  A  train  bound 
from  Y  to  Z  would  find  the  signals  and  switch 
as  shown  in  fi^.  225.  Here  the  bottom  arm  B 


em  / 


Fig.  225.— Tracks  and  Signals. 

on  home  signal  post,  2,  must  be  lowered  be- 
cause the  switch  has  been  prepared  for  a 
"diverging  route,"  that  is  a  route  which  would 
carry  trains  aAvay  from  the  most  important 
track.  The  distant  signal  1,  must  remain  at 
caution  for  it  cannot  be  cleared  until  the  home 
signal,  2A,  has  been  previously  cleared.  In 
both  of  the  cases  illustrated  in  figs.  224  and 
225  the  facing-point  lock,  5,  must  have  been 
reversed  before  any  of  the  signals  could  have 
been  cleared,  and  this  together  with  the  rela- 
tions between  home  signal,  2 A,  and  distant 
signal,  1,  are  made  unavoidable  by  means  of 
the  "interlocking"  feature  of  the  machine 
mentioned  in  the  beginning  of  this  chapter. 
A  train  coming  from  X,  in  fi«\  226,  has  but 


V 

FIG.  226.— Tracks  and  S'rrnals. 


210 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


novement  one  route  possible  and  this  is  indicated  as 
of  trains.  ciear  wnen  the  train  reaches  home  signal  7  A. 
It  must  have  approached  at  a  slow  speed 
however  for  distant  signal,  8,  was  found  at 
caution.  A  distant  signal  cannot  be  cleared 
until  after  the  home  signal  with  which  it 
works,  has  been  cleared,  but  there  is  nothing 
to  force  the  clearing  of  the  distant  signal  at  all 

O  O 

unless  the  signal-man  wishes  it  so.  The  last 
combination  possible-  with  the  tracks  shown 
in  figs.  224,  225,  226  and  227,  is  exhibited  in 


MAIN    TRACK 


Placing  of 

signal 

posts. 


FIG.  227.—  Tracks  and  Signals. 

fig.  227,  and  contemplates  the  movement  of  a 
train  from  Z  to  Y.  In  this  case  switch,  4,  has 
been  previously  reversed  and  the  dwarf  signal, 
7B,  has  alone  been  cleared.  In  each  case  the 
clearing  of  any  home  signal  has  locked  fast  all 
of  the  other  home  and  dwarf  signal  levers  in 
the  cabin,  for  it  is  evident  that  if  7A  and  7B 
were  cleared  at  the  same  time  a  collision  might 
result.  The  same  is  equally  true  of  the  rela- 
tions between  2A  and  B  and  7A  and  B. 

A  particular  meaning  is  attached  to  the  way 
iii  which  signals  are  shown  on  a  plan,  and  this 
-g  further  explained  in  fig.  228.  Ordinarily 
signals  B  1  -2  would  stand  at  A  in  the  form  of 
a  straight  two-arm  post  or  at  H  on  a  bracket- 
post  shaped  like  D,  but  the  first  is  impossible 
because  the  space  between  the  tracks  is  assumed 
to  be  insufficient,  and  the  second  because  of  the 
freight-house  which  stands  in  the  way.  The 
arms  are  therefore  placed  on  a  bracket-  post, 
pointing  to  the  left,  and  are  shown  as  white 
with  black  bands,  which  is  the  appearance  they 


FIXED  SIGNALS.     211 

present  when  seen  from  an  approaching  train  Placing 
which  they  do  not  govern,  as  would  be  the 
case    if  a  train  went   towards  them   from  5. 
The   function    of  signals  C,  D,  E    and  K  is 


JX 


FIG.  228 — Placing  of  Signal  Posts. 

plain  from  reasons  before  stated.  D  is  evi* 
dently  the  distant  signal  for  B',  and  it  is 
placed  at  D  rather  than  at  J,  because  if  possi- 
ble it  is  preferred  to  have  all  signals  on  the 
right  of  the  tracks  which  they  govern  when 
viewed  from  an  approaching  train.  This  is  not 
possible  (we  assume)  at  L,  so  the  dwarf  signal 
for  the  "crossover"  is  placed  at  F,  that  is  on 
the  left  of  the  track,  1-2,  but  with  its  blade 
pointing  to  the  right  and  marked  in  black, 
showing  that  it  controls  trains  moving  from  1 
to  2  or  1  to  4. 

The  simple  "  split  switch/'  the  "derail,"  the  combma- 
*'  double-slip"  with  or  without  the  "movable  tions  of 
frog,"  and  the  "single-slip "  with  or  without  the  switches- 
"  movable   frog,"  are   all  used  in  connection 
with  interlocking  machinery,  and  the  way  in 
which  they  are  indicated  on  a  plan  is  shown  in 
tig.   229.     Here  lJ-43-61  are  simple  "split 


FIG.  229.— Switches  and  Frogs. 


212  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

Combina-  switches,"  2!-l2-22  is  a  "single-slip  with 
IwKchL  movable  frog,"  3l-3*  is  a  "double-slip  with 
rigid  frog,"  41  is  a  "movable  frog,"  62  is  a 
"derail,"  and  5]-52  an  ordinary  crossover 
formed  of  two  simple  split  switches.  Certain 
combinations  of  these  arrangements  may  be 
operated  from  one  lever  in  a  machine  and  those 
combinations  will  now  be  described.  The 
large  figures  indicate  those  parts  which  are 
worked  from  the  same  lever  as  I1  -  I2,  while 
the  small  figures  serve  only  to  distinguish 
them  from  each  other.  All  of  the  derails, 
frogs  and  switches  are  shown  in  their  nor- 
mal positions  and  are  marked  with  the  num- 
bers of  the  levers  which  operate  them.  The 
small  figures  at  the  top  of  each  number 
are  for  reference  here  and  are  not  used  in  prac- 
tice. The  "crossover"  I1-!2  is  now  set  so 
that  a  train  on  tracks  A  or  B  would  follow  the 
straight  route,  but  if  set  like  51-52,  a  train 
would  be  forced  to  go  from  one  track  to  the 
other ;  therefore  both  switches  may  be  worked 
from  the  same  lever,  1.  This  is  also  the  case 
'with  I1  and  42,  which  might  properly  be  worked 
together  except  for  the  fact  that  they  would 
cut  oft*  all  traffic  on  tracks  B,  C,  I)  and  E 
during  the  time  they  might  be  reversed. 
There  is  of  course  an  inevitable  limit  to  the 
number  of  switches  that  may  be  operated 
from  one  lever,  which  is  determined  by  the 
amount  of  power  which  may  be  applied, 
and  experience  dictates,  when  switches  are  to 
be  operated  by  a  man,  that  not  more  than  two 
when  arranged  as  I1  -I2  or  four  when  arranged 
as  31  — 32  shall  be  connected,  when  the  rail 
does  not  exceed  80  Ibs.  per  yard  in  weight. 
With  the  above  in  mind  it  is  easy  to  under- 
stand the  reason  for  the  combinations  in  fig. 
229,  remembering  always  that  they  are  not  the 
only  ones  possible  but  are  given  because  they 


FIXED  SIGNALS.     213 
are  proper  and  serve  the  purpose  of  explana-  facing- 

tioil.  pointlocks. 

The  facing-point  lock,  fig.  230  (indicated  as 
No.  5  in  fig.  216),  consists  of  a  casting  bolted 


DETECTOR  BAR 


DRIVING  ROD 


SWITCH 


^CONNECTING 
ROD 


FIG.  230.— Facing-Point  Lock. 

to  the  ties  in  front  of  the  point  of  a  switch, 
through  which  slide  the  lock-pi  linger  and  lock- 
rod  at  right  angles  to  each  other.  The  lock- 
plunger  is  connected  directly  with  a  lever  of 
the  machine  in  the  cabin  by  means  ot  cranks 
and  1-in.  pipe,  while  the  lock-rod  is  also  con- 
nected with  the  machine  but  receives  its  motion 
through  the  switch,  to  the  front  rod  of  which 
it  is  fastened.  A  complete  movement  of  the 
switch  brings  one  or  other  of  the  openings  in 
the  lock-rod  into  place  in  front  of  the  lock- 
plunger,  which,  when  it  is  reversed  by  its  lever 
in  the  machine,  locks  the  switch  fast.  But  if 
the  switch  be  not  given  its  full  travel,  the  lock- 
plunger  will  impinge  against  the  solid  metal 
of  the  lock-rod.  The  lock-plunger  lever  will 
thus  be  prevented  from  completing  its  journey 
and,  the  interlocking  parts  of  the  machine 
being  in  consequence  out  of  place,  it  will 
become  impossible  to  clear  the  home  signal. 
The  facing-point  lock  therefore  has  two  duties  : 
first,  to  lock  the  switch  if  it  is  in  the  proper 
position  and,  second,  to  prevent  the  clearing 
of  the  home  signal  if  the  switch  happens  to  be 
wrong. 


214 

Detector 
bar. 


THE  NEW  Ro  ADM  ASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

A  detector-bar  is  almost  invariably  used 
with  a  facing-point  lock  and  is  assumed  to  be 
present  unless  it  is  specifically  stated  to  the 
contrary.  This  device  is  illustrated  in  fig.  231 


FIG.  231.— Detector  Bar. 

and  is  seen  (fig.  230)  to  be  connected  with  the 
same  lever  in  the  cabin  which  operates  the  facing- 
point  lock.  It  is  to  prevent  the  unlocking  of 
a  switch  while  a  car  is  standing  over  (stradd- 
ling) a  switch.  This  is  necessary  since  any 
movement  of  a  switch  at  such  a  time  might 
result  in  a  derailment.  The  bar  is  a  piece  of 
iron  or  steel  usually  about  45  ft.  long,  (which 
distance  is  expected  to  be  greater  than  the 
greatest  distance  between  any  two  wheels  of 
a  train),  extending  from  the  point  of  the 
switch  as  shown  in  fig.  230.  In  this  arrange- 
*ment  only  one  bar  is  necessary,  but  in  fig.  232, 
Avhere  it  is  back  of  the  head -block  of  the 


FIG.  232. — Special  Arrangement  of  Detector  Bars. 

switch  two  bars  must  be  used,  since  the  train 
may  be  standing  on  either  of  the  two  tracks. 
The  detector-bar,  fig.  231,  is  placed  close 
against  the  rail  with  its  top  A-B,  fig.  231, 
normally  about  J  in.  below  the  top  and  us- 


FIXED  SIGNALS.     215 


Detector 
bar. 


ually  on  the  outside  of  the  rail.  It  is  sup- 
ported on  links  pivoted  at  their  bases  in  such 
manner  as  to  force  the  bar  to  rise  about  an 
inch  as  indicated  by  the  dotted  line  above  the 
rail,  when  it  is  moved  back  and  forth  by  the 
detector-bar  driving-rod.  By  so  rising  above 
the  rail,  the  bar  strikes  any  wheel  which  might 
be  standing  there  and  because  it  is  unable  to 
follow  its  full  course,  prevents  the  facing-point 
lock  from  being  withdrawn. 

On  side-track  switches  and  on  trailing- point  switch  and 

i  -A    i  i       •  ^        moo          11     i    lock  move- 

mam-track  switches,  a  device,  hg.  233,  called  ment> 


FIG.  233.— Switch  and  Lock  Movement. 

a  "  switch-and-lock-movement "  is  often  used 
for  combining  the  operation  of  a  switch,  a 
lock  and  a  detector-bar  from  one  lever,  instead 
of  dividing  it  between  two  levers  as  in  fig.  230. 
It  is  an  inferior  method  but  is  cheaper  and  is 
only  proper  where  the  speed  of  trains  is  uni- 
formly sloAV.  The  alligator-crank,  A,  and  the 
slide-bar,  B,  are  mounted  upon  the  same  base. 
To  the  arm  of  A  is  fastened  the  connecting 
rod  of  the  switch,  while  to  the  slide-bar,  B, 
are  fastened  the  lock  pins,  L,  the  roller,  R, 
the  driving-rod  of  the  detector-bar  and  the 
pipe  connection  to  the  cabin.  As  fig.  233  is 
shown,  the  lever  in  the  cabin  is  in  one  of  its 
extreme  positions,  the  switch  is  set  for  the  main 
track  and  is  held  there  by  the  lock  pin,  L1,  which 


216  THE  NEW  Ro  ADM  ASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

Switch  and  is  SCGll  projecting  thl'Ollgll  tllC  lock  rod.       UpOll 

ock  move-  moving  the  lever  in  the  cabin,  B  is  pushed  to  the 
left,  which  immediately  operates  the  detector- 
bar  and  L1  is  withdrawn.  In  the  meantime  R  is 
sliding  along  the  face,  F1  of  the  alligator-crank, 
but  no  movement  in  the  switch  takes  place 
until  R  reaches  the  face  F2.  By  this  time  the 
lock,  L1,  is  entirely  clear  and  the  detector-bar 
has  reached  its  highest  position  above  the  rail. 
Then  R  forces  A  around  until  F2  is  parallel 
with  B.  This  corresponds  with  the  new  posi- 
tion of  the  switch  and  takes  place  just  before 
L2  enters  the  opening  in  the  lock  rod,  which 
together  with  the  complete  lowering  of  the 
detector-bar  is  the  last  operation  of  the  move- 
ment. The  same  sequence  of  action  takes 
place  in  the  contrary  course  of  B. 

Bolt  lock.  A  "bolt-lock,"  fig.  233,  is  sometimes  used 
as  a  check  on  the  action  of  a  switch-and-lock- 
movement  (occasionally  elsewhere)  and  con- 
sists of  a  rod  (the  extension  of  the  lock-rod) 
and  a  bolt-lock.  Its  purpose  is  to  prevent  the 
clearing  of  a  signal  should  the  switch  not  be 
^exactly  right.  To  each  end  of  the  bolt-lock 
is  connected  the  wire  which  joins  the  signal  to 
its  lever  in  the  cabin.  In  fig.  233,  the  signal 
has  been  cleared  because  the  bolt- lock  is  seen 
to  have  entered  the  opening  in  the  lock-rod, 
but  if  the  opening  had  not  stood  directly 
opposite  the  bolt-lock,  that  piece  would  have 
impinged  against  the  solid  metal  of  the  rod 
and  its  further  movement  have  been  stopped, 
while  as  a  result  the  signal  would  have  re- 
mained at  danger. 

selector.  It  remains  to  mention  but  one  more  of  the 
devices  used  in  interlocking,  before  proceeding 
to  a  description  of  the  machine,  and  that  one 
is  the  "  selector."  Its  object  is  to  reduce  the 
number  of  levers  in  a  machine  by  enabling 
two  or  more  signals  to  be  operated  from  the 


FIXED  SIGNALS.     217 


same  lever   and  its  essential  parts  are  illus- 
trated in  fig.  234.     Theoretically,  any  number 


/  P/P£    TO  c/iei, 


B* 


FIG.  234.— Selector. 

of  signals  which  govern  trains  mo 


in  the  Selector. 


same  direction  may  be  operated  from  a  certain 
lever  of  a  machine,  if  but  one  of  those  signals 
can  be  properly  cleared  at  the  same  time. 
Practically  not  more  than  seven  or  eight  sig- 
nals are  ever  operated  from  the  same  lever. 
A  selector  is  always  described  according  to  the 
number  of  switches  in  connection  with  which 
it  works  and  not  with  regard  to  the  number 
of  signals,  for  in  fig.  235,  although  switches  1 


FIG.  235.— The  "Selection"  of  Signals. 

and  2  regulate  the  selectors  for  3  signals  (A) 
in  one  direction  and  for  two  signals  (B)  in  the 
other  direction,  yet  a  "  2- way  selector"  is 
used  in  each  case.  This  is  so  because  although 


there   are   three   routes, 


signal 


B2  is   cleared 

whichever  of  the  switches  1  or  2  is  set  for  the 
divergent  route.  In  consequence  of  this  rule 
the  selector  of  fig.  234,  is  a  "  1-way."  A  box, 


218 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


selector.  S,  fig.  234,  contains  two  hooks,  H,  (three  in  a 
two-way,  four  in  a  three-way,  etc.)  which  form 
the  connection  with  the  signal  wires,  a  lug,  L, 
(only  one  lug  is  used  for  all  "  ways  ")  and  a 
driving  rod,  D,  (a  separate  driving  rod  is  used 
for  each  switch  and  the  number  in  a  selector 
therefore  corresponds  exactly  with  the  size, 
1-way,  2-  way,  etc.,  of  the  selector).  The 
crank,  C,  connects  D  with  the  line  of  pipe 
which  joins  the  switch  with  its  lever  in  the 
machine,  and  D,  consequently  acts  in  accord- 
ance with  the  motion  of  the  switch  lever. 
Through  a  hole  in  D,  L  is  loosely  passed  so 
that  although  it  is  moved  by  D  laterally,  noth- 
ing prevents  the  longitudinal  motion  of  L. 
As  the  drawing  is  made,  the  switch  stands  for 
the  main  track  and  L  is  in  connection  Avith  H1 
(the  main-track  signal  hook).  If  the  switch 
should  be  reversed  by  moving  its  pipe  to  the 
left,  I)  would  force  L  into  connection  with  H* 
and  L  then  being  moved  to  the  left  would 
result  in  lowering  Ba. 

Pipe  con-          Switches,     facing-point-locks,     detector-bars 
nections.  switch-and-lock-movements  toether  with 


a  few  other  special  devices,  should  be  operated 
always,  where  man-power  is  used,  by  iron  or 
steel,  seamless  pipe,  having  an  internal  diame- 
ter of  one  inch  and  an  external  diameter  of 
1^  inch.  These  pipes  are  placed  side  by  side, 
2  1  in.  center  to  center,  and  are  supported  in 
"  pipe-carriers,"  fig.  236,  containing  rollers  at 


"Fin.  92fi  Pino   Cnrriftra. 


FIXED  SIGNALS.     219 

the  top  and  bottom  which  confine  the  pipe  and  Beii  crank, 
reduce  the  resistance  to  its  motion.     Changes 
in  the  direction  of  a  pipe  line  are  made  (usu- 
ally) by  "bell-cranks,"  fig.    237,  which    rest 


FIG.  237.— Bell  Crank. 


upon  the  base  and  revolve  about  the  center. 

At  the  ends  of  the  arms,   J,  the  pipe  is  con-  jaws. 

nected  by  means  of  "jaws,"  fig.  238,  which 


FIG.  238.— Jaw. 

constitute  the  common  method  of  attaching  a 
pipe  to  some  other  article.  The  pipe  is  passed 
over  the  "tang"  and  is  screwed  into  the  sleeve, 
S. 

Signals  only,  should  be  operated  by  wire  wirecon- 
and  this  should  be  of  No.  9  galvanized  steel,  nections. 
supported  in  "wire-carriers,"  fig.  239,  which 


FIG.  239.— Wire  Carrier. 


are  provided  with  rollers  for  the  wire  to  rest 
upon 


The  changes  in  the  direction  of  a  line 


220 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


wire  con-    of  wire  are  made  by  inserting  into  the  line  a 
nections.     pjece  of  i_jn    chain  with  short  links,  and  pass- 
ing the  chain  around  a  wheel,  fig.  240,  which 
has  a  fixed  center. 


FIG.  240.— Chain  Wheel. 


Adjust, 

111  Cllt 


Both  pipe  and  wire  will  vary  in  length  as 
the  temperature  changes  and  through  other 
causes  ;  they  should  therefore  be  provided 
with  turnbuckles,  fig.  241,  to  provide  for  small 


MRE  ADJUSTING  SCREW 


PIPE  ADJUSTING  SCREW 
FIG.  241.— Pipe  and  Wire  Adjusting  Screws. 

compensa-  adjustments.  It  is  desirable  also  that  they 
shall  be  automatically  compensated  but  up  to 
the  present  time,  no  perfectly  satisfactory 
automatic  wire-compensator  has  been  devised, 
although  there  seems  to  be  every  reason  to 
hope  for  one.  The  ordinary  pipe-compensator, 
the  "lazy-jack,"  fig.  242,  is  eminently  success- 
full. 


FIG.  242.— Pipe-Compensator  ("Lazy- Jack"). 


FIXED  SIGNALS.     221 

The  machine,  figs.  217  and  243,  consists  of  a  inter- 
frame  to  support  the  other  parts,  a  series  of 
levers  for  operating  the  different  switches,  sig- 
nals,   etc.,    and    the    interlocking   mechanism 
which   permits  the  movement  of  a   lever  at 


FIG.  243 . — Interlocking  Lever  and  Mechanism. 

certain  times.  In  fig.  243,  L  is  one  of  a  series 
of  levers,  E  its  lever-shoe,  H  a  latch-handle, 
R  a  latch-rod,  K  a  latch-block,  C  a  rocker, 
N  a  rocker-link,  S  a  locking-shaft  and  B  a 
locking-bar,  all  belonging  to  that  lever.  In 
any  machine  a  series  of  levers  are  placed  5  in. 
center  to  center,  side  by  side  in  a  frame. 
Each  L  is  fastened  to  an  E  which  is  supported 


222  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

inter.  in  the  frame  by  a  horizontal  pin  at  P.  L  is 
machine  >snown  i11  tne  drawing  in  the  normal  position  ; 
when  reversed  it  coincides  with  the  dotted 
line.  The  signals,  switches,  etc.,  are  joined  to 
the  short  arm  of  L  at  its  lower  end.  H  is 
pivoted  at  its  lower  end  to  L  and  when  grasped 
by  the  hand,  raises  R,  which  in  turn  raises  C 
by  means  of  the  block  K.  C  is  pivoted  to 
the  frame  at  Y  so  that,  when  raised  at  K  by 
R,  it  assumes  a  position  circumferential  to  P  ; 
since  it  is  formed  on  a  curve  whose  radius  is 
equal  to  K-P,  it  permits  K  to  move  through 
it  freely  as  L  is  thrown  forward  and  back. 
When  L  has  been  reversed,  H  is  released,  R 
is  lowered  and  C  assumes  a  third  position. 
When  L  is  normal,  the  right-hand  end  of  C  is 
depressed.  During  the  movement  of  L,  the 
two  ends  of  C  are  at  the  same  height,  while 
when  L  is  reversed  and  II  released,  the  left- 
hand  end  of  C  is  depressed.  As  L  passes 
backward  and  forward  between  its  two  posi- 
tions, K  passes  over  a  stop  which  prevents  it 
from  being  lowered  during  any  movement  of  L. 
The  vertical  action  of  C  causes  N  to  be 
raised  or  lowered  (depending  upon  whether  L 
is  to  be  moved  from  the  normal  or  reversed 
position)  which  since  N  is  connected  with  the 
crank-arm,  A  of  the  horizontal  locking-shaft 
S,  transmits  the  rise  and  fall  of  N  to  S,  in  the 
form  of  a  rotary  motion.  Mounted  upon  B 
is  a  filling  block,  G,  fitting  into  the  driver,  D, 
which  is  fastened  rigidly  to  S.  The  rotary 
motion  of  S  is  thus  transferred  to  a  horizontal 
movement  in  B,  while  the  final  relation  be- 
tween the  latch  II  and  the  locking-bar  B,  is 
completed  as  well  as  the  way  in  which  the 
three  positions  of  C  are  communicated  to  B. 
From  the  preceding  it  follows  that  when  L  is 
changed  from  the  "normal,"  B  first  moves  to  the 
left,  then  stops  and  finally  completes  its  move- 


FIXED  SIGNALS.     223 

ment  to   the  left.     The  contrary  takes   place  inter- 
when  L  is  changed  from  the  "reverse."     The  lock"]& 

-.  -i  machine. 

interlocking  parts  are  mounted  upon  and  arc 
operated  directly  by  the  locking  bars  B,  which 
are  arranged  in  such  a  way  that  by  the  move- 
ment of  any  lever,  all  other  levers  are  locked 
fast  which  if  moved  might  in  any  way  inter- 
fere with  the  train  which  it  is  intended  to 
signal. 

"The  details  of  the  "interlocking''''  proper 
are  however,  too  complicated  to  permit  of 
explanation  in  a  book  not  solely  devoted  to 
that  subject  and  it  must  be  taken  for  granted 
that  the  objects  which  are  sought  are  success- 
fully accomplished.  , 

The  principal  devices  used  in  manual  inter-  Power 
locking  have  now  been  described  and  since  |^terlock- 
that  is  the  sole  intention,  a  mention  only  will 
be  made  of  other  methods  of  operation. 
These  are  few.  Man  power  it  is  believed 
must  always  remain  the  usual  method  of 
accomplishing  the  combined  action  of  switches 
and  signals,  since  it  is  the  simplest  and  most 
easily  controlled,  so  far,  of  all  the  forces  at 
our  disposal  and  must  in  any  event  be  the 
means  of  intelligently  controlling  those  forces, 
since  it  is  self-evident  that  "interlocking" 
cannot  become  automatic.  Hydraulic  pressure 
for  moving  switches  and  signals  has  been  tried 
and  abandoned  for  many  reasons.  At  the 
present  time  the  field  of  power-interlocking 
is  monopolized  by  what  is  known  as  the 
"  TVrestinghouse  Electro-Pneumatic  Interlock- 
ing System"  which  indicates  its  character. 
All  switches  and  signals  are  moved  by  com- 
pressed air  conveyed  to  them  by  pipes  from 
an  air  compressor.  The  valves  which  direct 
the  action  of  the  air  are  controlled  by  electro- 
magnets. The  machine  is  most  ingenious, 
combining  in  itself  all  of  the  usual  interlock- 


224  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

ing  features,  together  with  certain  electrical 
checks  on  the  mutual  operation  of  the  switches, 
signals  and  machine  levers.  The  system  finds 
its  best  field  at  large  installations  where  it  is 
singularly  successful  through  the  great  rapid- 
ity with  which  the  changes  in  combinations 
may  be  made  and  because  of  the  few  lever- 
men  who  are  required. 


BLOCK  SIGNALING. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  in  the  definition 
naiing.  of  K  interlocking  "  it  was  stated  that  the  object 
of  that  branch  of  signaling  is  to  preserve  from 
collision,  trains  which  are- running  upon  sepa- 
rate but  converging  tracks ;  that  is,  tracks 
which  either  cross  each  other  or  join  each 
other  through  the  medium  of  a  switch.  In 
Block-Signaling  the  problem  is  quite  different 
since  its  object  concerns  only  those  trains  which 
are  moving  upon  the  same  track  and  this 
includes  both  single  track,  where  trains  may 
be  either  approaching  or  following  each  other, 
*and  double  track  where  trains  only  follow  each 
other.  To  accomplish  the  separation  of  trains, 
a  railroad  is  divided  into  sections  of  approxi- 
mately equal  length,  called  "blocks,"  with  a 
signal  placed  at  the  beginning  of  each  block. 
When  a  block  is  occupied,  its  signal  should  bo 
in  the  danger  position  and  when  a  block  is 
empty,  its  signal  may  be  in  the  clear  position 
and  a  train  may  enter.  This  is  block-signal- 
ing pure  and  simple. 

Block  The  signals  used  in  block-signaling  are   pre- 

signais.  ferably  of  the  same  appearance  and  meaning 
as  those  which  have  been  described  and  are 
illustrated  by  figs.  218  and  220.  There  is 
consequently  110  reason  for  describing  them  a 
second  time  since  every  statement  made  con- 
cerning their  functions  in  interlocking  applies 


FIXED  SIGNALS.     225 

equally  to  block-signaling.  Until  quite  re-  Block 
cently  "semaphore7'  signals,  except  in  rare  signals< 
and  unimportant  instances,  (the  term  used  to 
describe  signals  having  an  "arm")  have  only 
been  used  where  compressed  air  could  be 
applied  to  operate  them,  as  in  the  Westing- 
house  automatic  system,  or  where  they  could 
be  directly  moved  by  the  signal-man  in  a 
cabin.  But  a  few  months  before  the  issue  of 
this  book,  purely  automatic  semaphores  have 
been  tried  which  derived  their  motion  from  an 
electric  current.  These  have  worked  with 
encouraging  success  and  if  they  finally  inspire 
confidence  they  will  probably  become  the  pre- 
vailing form  of  automatic  signal. 


FIG.  244. — The  Banjo  Signal. 
(The  Hall  Signal  Co.) 

The   "banjo"  signal,   fig.    244,   is   operated  Banjo 
wholly  by  electricity  and  consists  of  a  trans-  s'2nal- 
parent    colored    screen,    enclosed    in    a    case, 
which  shows  through  the  opening  of  the  case 
when  the  signal  is  at  danger  (or  caution  for  a 


226  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

Banjo  distant  signal)  and  is  withdrawn  from  sight 
when  the  signal  indicates  safety.  A  lamp 
which  shines  through  the  small,  upper  opening 
in  the  case  illuminates  the  signal  at  night. 


FIG.  245.— The  Banner  Signal. 
(The  Union  Switch  &  Signal  Co.) 

Banner  The  "  banner  "  signal,  fig.  245,  is  operated 

signal.  by  a  weight  which  is  wound  up  periodically 
and  is  controlled  by  clock-work.  This  is 
alternately  held  and  released  by  an  electric 
current  which  operates  a  governing  device, 
contained  in  the  box  upon  which  the  signal 
rests.  The  signal  revolves  on  a  vertical  shaft 
and  exposes  to  the  view  of  an  approaching 
train,  a  banner  of  one  form  for  danger  ana 
another  form  for  safety.  At  night  the  signal 
indications  arc  given  by  a  revolving  lamp,  hav- 
ing lenses  of  different  colors  ;  this  is  mounted 
on  the  banner-shaft  and  therefore  follows 
exactly  the  movements  of  the  banners. 
Track  Nearly  all  purely  automatic  block-signals 

circuit.        ;irc  controlled  by  what  is  known  as  the  "  track 
curcuit."     This  consists  in  having  the  rails  in 


FIXED  SIGNALS,     227 

each  "block"  on  the  same  side  of  the  track,  Track 
connected  with  each  other  electrically  by  short  circuit- 
pieces  of  wire.  The  blocks  are  electrically 
separated  by  placing  insulating  material  be- 
tween the  end  rails  and  angle-bars  of  adjacent 
blocks.  At  one  end  of  each  block  the  last 
rails  on  the  two  sides  of  a  track  are  joined  by 
a  wire  in  which  an  electric  battery  is  placed, 
and  at  the  other  end  of  each  block  is  placed 
a  wire  containing  a  track  relay  which  controls 
the  signal  governing  that  block.  This  estab- 
lishes an  electric  circuit  which  operates  in 
such  a  way  that,  when  a  train  occupies  a 
certain  block,  the  signal  governing  that  block 
is  cut  out  and  forced  to  exhibit  clanger  because 
the  electric  current  is  cut  out  from  it  by  the 
presence  of  the  train  on  the  track.  A  clear 
(empty)  block  consequently  results  in  a  clear 
signal.  Switches  are  also  included  in  the  track 
circuit  so  as  to  cause  the  signal  to  show  dan- 
ger in  case  the  switch  is  not  set  and  locked 
for  the  main  track. 

In  all  work  about  a  railroad,  trackmen  must  Careof 
be  especially  chary  of  changing  in  any  way  aPP|iances- 
the  operations  or  material  of  an  interlocking 
or  block  signal  plant.  A  mistake  in  this  mat- 
ter, such  as  the  breaking  of  a  piece  of  wire, 
may  result  not  only  in  delays  and  inconven- 
ience, which  will  be  troublesome,  but  even  in 
the  loss  of  life.  Repairs  which  require  the 
movement  or  temporary  abandonment  of  any 
signaling  material  should  if  possible  be  made 
under  the  direction  of  a  man  connected  Avith 
the  signal  force  and  a  sufficient  notice  should 
therefore  be  given  whenever  any  such  work  is 
contemplated.  Ignorant  interference  in  signal- 
ing matters  is  more  apt  to  result  disastrously 
than  iii  most  other  branches  of  railroad  affairs 
and  it  should  for  that  reason  be  more  sedul- 
ously avoided. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
RULES  AND  TABLES. 

Railroad  spikes  are  usually  packed  in  kegs  spikes. 
weighing  150  Ibs.  or  200  Ibs.  each.     The  spikes 
of  common  size,  5  J  in.  long  by  -^  in.  square, 
run  280  to  the  150  Ib.  keg.     In  other  words, 
each  spike  weighs  a  little  more  than  ^  Ib. 

Track  bolts  are  more  frequently  packed  in  Bolts. 
kegs    containing  a    certain    number  of   bolts 
rather  than  a  certain  number  of  pounds.     The 
ordinary  bolt  with  its  nut  weighs  something 
less  than  1  Ib. 

Rails  are  always  sold  by  the  "gross  ton'7  Rails. 
which  weighs  2,240  Ibs.,  as  distinguished  from 
the  "net  ton77  which  weighs  2,000  Ibs. 

7  in.  by  9  in.  by  8|  ft.  sawed,  white  oak,  cross  ties, 
cross  ties  weigh  about  195  Ibs.  each ;  6  in. 
by  8  in.  by  8|  ft.  sawed,  white  oak,  cross  ties 
weigh  about  150  Ibs.  each.  Hewed  ties  of  the 
same  classes  weigh  considerably  more  than  the 
amounts  given.  Ties  when  purchased  at  a 
distance  are  received  loaded  on  cars,  which 
may  be  expected  to  contain  from  150  to  250 
ties  each. 

An  ordinary  flat  car  33  ft.   long   by  8  ft.  Capacity 
wide,  with   temporary    sides    1    ft.   high   will  of  cars> 
carry  about  18  cubic  yards  of  loose  material 
without  spilling  ;   without  sides  about  8  cubic 
yards.     A  gondola  33  ft.  long  by  8  ft.  wide 
by  3  ft.  4  in.  high,  when  loaded  full  but  not 
heaped  up,  will  carry  about  32  cubic  yards. 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


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RULES  AND  TABLES.     231 

Every  roadmaster  and  section-foreman  is,  or  inches  and 
should  be,  equipped  with  a  tape-line  50  ft.  long,  tenths- 
divided  into  feet,  inches,  halves  and  quarters  of 
an  inch.  But  there  should  also  be  provided 
for  the  special  work  which  will  fall  upon  the 
roadmaster,  a  steel  tape-line  which  is  divided 
into  feet,  tenths  and  hundredths  of  a  foot. 
All  railroad  surveyors  in  this  country  now  use 
the  last-named  arrangement,  which  does  away 
entirely  with  vulgar  fractions,  substituting 
for  them  the  "  decimal  point."  Fig.  246  rcp- 


INCHES.    TWELFTHS 
1             234             56             789            IO           11 

12 

1234 

! 

TENTHS. 
56                                 89 

IO 

1 

FIG.  246. — Comparison  between  Inches  and  Tenths  of  a  Foot. 

resents  a  foot  measure  which  is  divided  accord- 
ing to  these  two  methods.  The  upper  line 
contains  twelve  equal  parts  which  are  called 
"  inches."  The  lower  line,  although  exactly 
the  same  length  as  the  upper  one,  contains  but 
ten  equal  parts  and  these  are  called  "tenths." 
If  now  a  tenth  of  a  foot  is  divided  into  ten 
parts,  each  of  the  last-named  parts  will  equal 
a  hundredth  of  a  foot,  and  again  if  each  hun- 
dredth of  a  foot  is  divided  into  ten  parts,  one 
of  these  parts  will  equal  a  thousandth  of  a  foot. 
The  great  advantage  of  the  "tenths  "  is  seen 
when  one  must  add,  subtract,  multiply  or 
divide  several  figures.  Suppose  that  it  is 
necessary  to  add  3izg-  in.,  5|  in.,  7-J  in.  and  9| 
in.,  and  get  an  answer  in  feet,  inches  and  a  frac- 
tion. One  must  first  change  all  these  vulgar 
fractions  to  sixteenths,  then  add  up  the  six-  /or 
tceiiths,  then  divide  the  sum  by  sixteen  and  Ip  5 
add  the  result  to  the  inches;  then  the  inches  |y,-j 
must  be  added  up  and  divided  by  twelve  to  get 
them  into  feet.  The  answer  is  2  ft.  1  y|  in.  w 


232 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


But  by  using  the  decimal  parts  of  a  foot  and 
adding  them  together  like  this, 

3II6-  =  0.286 
5f  =0.469 
7*  =0.625 
9|  =0.771 


Use  of 
Table  II. 


Erecting  a 
perpendic- 
ular. 


2.151, 

the  answer  is  got  by  one  operation  and  is  ex- 
pressed as  two,  and  one  hundred  fifty-one 
thousandths  feet.  In  multiplication  and  divi- 
sion the  use  of  "tenths"  simplifies  the  opera- 
tion still  more* 

By  means  of  Table  II  all  of  these  figures 
may  be  got  in  a  moment ;  look  in  the  column 
headed  3  inches,  opposite  -fa  and  .286  will  be 
found  ;  that  is,  two  hundred  and  eighty -six 
thousandths  of  a  foot.  Or  taking  another 
figure  in  our  addition,  .625,  suppose  that  it  is 
desired  to  know  how  many  inches  this  equals. 
Look  in  Table  II  until  .625  is  found,  when  it 
will  be  seen  that  it  is  under  7  and  opposite  |, 
which  means  seven  and  one-halt'  inches.  If  a 
number  must  be  used  at  any  time  which  does 
not  exactly  agree  with  the  numbers  in  the  table, 
as  for  instance  .364,  then  look  for  the  nearest 
to  it  which  is  seen  to  be  .365  ;  this  equals  4|  in. 
Thus  it  is  evident  that  this  table  may  be  used 
either  to  convert  inches  to  decimals  of  a  foot 
or  decimals  of  a  foot  to  inches. 

How  to  "erect  a  perpendicular,"  in  other 
words  lay  out  a  line  at  right  angles  from  a 
certain  point  on  another  line,  is  a  necessary 
thing  for  every  trackman  to  know.  In  fig. 
247,  let  A-B  be  the  first  line,  C-D  the  second 
line  and  A  the  point  from  which  the  perpen- 
dicular is  to  be  erected.  Take  a  tape  and 
have  the  end  and  the  12  ft.  mark  held  together 
at  A;  have  the  3  ft.  mark  held  on  the  same 


RULES  AND  TABLES.     233 


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234 


THE  NEW  Ro  ADM  ASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Erecting  a   line  at  D,  then  when  the  tape  is  stretched  and 
perpendic-  brought  to  an  angle  at  the  8  ft.  mark  as  at  B, 

I 


Letting  fall 
a  perpen- 
dicular.    • 


D  *  A  C 

FIG.  247. — Erecting  a  Perpendicular. 

the  line  joining  A  and  B  will  be  perpendicular 
to  C-D  at  A.  It  is  seen  in  fig.  247,  that  the 
numbers  3,  4  and  5  are  the  lengths  of  the  dif- 
ferent sides  of  the  triangle  A  B  D.  If  the 
figures  3-4-5  are  not  convenient,  any  multiple 
of  them  may  be  used  instead,  if  they  arc  all 
multiplied  by  the  same  number  as  for  instant  e 
6-8-10  which  are  multiples  of  2,  or  9-12-15 
which  are  multiples  of  3. 

To  "  let  fall  a  perpendicular "  or  in  other 
words  lay  out  a  line  from  a  point  A,  fig.  248, 


c  \  B  ^o 

1  IG.  248.— Letting  Fall  a  Perpendicular. 

at  right  angles  to  another  line  C— D,  take  a 
tape  or  any  other  cord  longer  than  the  distance 
between  A  and  B  and  hold  one  end  at  A. 
Have  the  other  end  carried  first  to  C  and  a 


RULES  AND  TABLES.     235 

mark  made  there,  next  to  D  and  a  mark  made 
there.  Then  if  a  mark  be  placed  exactly  half 
way  between  C  and  D  at  B,  the  line  A-B 
will  be  perpendicular  to  C  — D  from  A. 

Carves  are  commonly  spoken  of  with  refer-  Degree  of 
ence  to  the  angle  at  the  center,  subtended  by  curve< 
a  100  ft.  chord.      This   idea  is  illustrated  in 
tigs.   249,  A  and  B,  the  first  of  which  repre- 


'(6 


Center. 

A 
FIG.  249.— A,  Six-Degree  Curve. 


Center. 

B 
B,  Nine-Degree  Curve. 


scuts  a  6°  (six  degree)  curve  and  the  second  a 
9°  (nine  degree)  curve. 

To  find  the  degree  of  curve  in  a  railroad  Finding 
track,    take  a   line   exactly    62  ft.    long   and 
stretch  it  so  that  the  ends  just  touch  the  gage 
side  of  the  outside  rail  as  in  fig.  249  :   then  at 


FIG.  250. — Method  of  Finding  Degree  of  Curve. 

the  center  of  the  line  (31  ft.  from  each  end) 
measure  from  the  line  to  the  gage  side  of  the 


236  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

rail  and  the  number  of  inches  found  will  equal 
the  decree  of  the  curve.  That  is,  if  the  dis- 
tance is  3  in.,  as  in  fig.  250,  it  will  be  a  three 
degree  (3°)  curve,  if  4|  inches  a  4^°  curve. 
By  this  process  the  proper  elevation  for  a 
curve  may  be  found  approximately  and  at  any 
time,  with  nothing  but  a  measuring  tape  or  a 
foot  rule  and  ditchiug-line. 

Laying  out         Long    pieCCS    of    track    which    follow    a    11CW 

line  and  do  not  run  parallel  to  any  old  track 
should,  if  at  all  important,  be  first  located 
with  a  transit ;  but  short  tracks  even  when  on 
a  curve  may  be  quite  accurately  staked  out 
with  a  tape  line  by  means  of  the  "  versed  sine  " 
method  or  with  the  assistance  of  Table  III, 
which  irives  the  deflections  for  curves  up  to 
20°. 

The  simplest  way  of  running  curves  is 
known  as  the  "  versed  sine  "  method  ;  and  is 
illustrated  in  fig.  251.  It  has  the  peculiar 
advantage  of  requiring  no  tables  and  scarcely 
any  effort  of  memory,  while  at  the  same  time 
it  is  as  correct  as  any  plan  can  be  in  which  no 
f  transit  is  used. 

Assuming  that  there  are  two  tangents  K  — 
A  -  C  and  B  -  C  which  it  is  desired  to  connect 
})y  means  of  a  regular  curve,  the  first  thing  to 
do  is  to  mark  the  exact  place  where  the  tan- 
gents come  together  at  C.  This  is  readily 
accomplished  by  setting  up  two  thin  stakes  on 
each  tangent  and  sighting  them  in  until  C  is 
found  to  be  in  both  lines.  The  drawing  repre- 
sents a  side-track  B  -  J  -  E  -  G  -  A  -  K  which 
starts  at  the  frog  point  B  where  it  is  tangent 
to  the  frog  rail  and  proceeds  on  a  regular 
curve  to  A  where  it  is  tangent  to  the  straight 
line  A  -  K. 

After  having  located  C  it  is  necessary  to 
find  out  the  distance  to  the  nearest  point  from 
which  the  curve  must  stall,  remembering 


RULES  AND  TABLES.     237 

always  that  the  further  A  and  B  are  from  C,  Laying  out 
the  easier  the  curve   will  be.      If  as  in  the  curves- 
drawing   the    curve   must   begin  not   further 
away  than  the  frog  point,  that  fact  at  once 
limits  the  distance  B  -  C  but  if  the  curve  is 
removed  from  any  other  track,  and  is  to  join 
two  simple  tangents  then  there  is  no  reason 
why  it  should  not  begin  anywhere  else  back 
of  A  or  B  as  at  K. 

When  the  distance  C  -  B  has  been  deter- 
mined, next  mark  the  distance  C  — A  exactly 
the  same  as  C  -  B  ;  lay  off  the  straight  line 
A  -  B  and  place  a  stake  at  A  exactly  half  way 
between  and  exactly  in  line  with  A  -  B.  Then 
measure  the  distance  C  -  D  ;  exactly  half  way 
between  and  exactly  in  line  with  C  and  D 
place  the  stake  E.  This  stake  will  be  on  the 
curve.  Next  join  A  -  E  and  half  way  between 
place  the  stake  F;  join  E-B  and  half  way 
between  place  II,  then  on  a  line  perpendicular 


FIG.  251.— Versed  Sine  Method  of  Laying  Out  Curves. 

to  A  -  E  at  F  and  on  a  line  perpendicular  to 
E-B  at  H  lay  off  F-G  and  H- J,  each  of 
them  exactly  one  quarter  of  the  distance  from 
E  to  D.  The  stakes  at  B-J-E-G  and  A 
are  then  all  of  them  in  the  line  of  a  curve 
which  is  tangent  to  straight  lines  at  A  and  B. 
If  the  curve  is  not  more  than  two  hundred 
feet  long,  these  five  stakes  are  enough  to  locate 
it  but  if  for  any  reason  more  points  are  needed, 


238  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

Laying  out  they  may  easily  be  supplied  by  joining  A  and 

curves.          Q     Q    ^  ft     ft    ^    j    j    ^  jg    by    g^^f. 

lilies  ;  then  exactly  half  Avay  on  these  lines 
and  perpendicular  to  them,  lay  off  other  points 
one  quarter  of  the  distance  between  G  and  F. 

Sometimes  an  obstruction  or  the  character 
of  the  ground  will  interfere  with  producing 
both  of  these  tangents  as  far  as  C,  in  which 
case  a  recourse  must  be  had  to  another  plan 
which  is  equally  correct  but,  because  it  involves 
the  use  of  Table  III  and  requires  the  location 
of  more  points,  is  not  quite  so  convenient. 

Like  the  preceding  plan,  the  one  now  to  be 
described  will  usually  be  needed  for  laying  out 
new  side  tracks  and,  because  of  this,  the  curve 
is  shown,  in  fig.  252,  as  beginning  at  a  frog. 


FIG.  252.— Laying  Out  Curves. 

There  is  no  reason  however,  if  the  circum- 
stances are  different,  why  the  curve  should  not 
begin  at  any  other  point,  in  which  case  the 
50-ft.  spaces  may  be  laid  off  and  the  curve 
located  in  exactly  the  same  way,  except  that 
there  will  be  no  frog  to  start  from. 

In  fig.  252,  the  line  C  I)  represents  the 
"tangent"  (the  straight  line  from  which  the 
curve  starts)  which  is  parallel  with  the  outside 
gage  line  of  the  frog,  and  2  ft.  4J  in.  (or  2  ft. 
4J  in.  with  a  4  ft.  9  in.  gage)  distant  from  it. 
This  is  the  most  correct  way  but  if  it  be  pre- 
ferred, the  "  line  of  frog"  may  be  used  as  the 
tangent  with  results  which  are  practically  just 
as  good.  In  consequence  of  this  offset  C  is 
on  the  center  line  of  the  new  track  at  the  frog. 


TABLES.     2! 


Since  it  is  best  to  start  the  curve  at  the  heel  of  Laying  out 

the  frog,  C  is  located  opposite  that  place  and  curves- 

becomes    the    point  of   curve.     C  and  D  are 

marked  on  the  ground  by  slender  sticks  about 

4  ft.  long,  set  upright.      Beginning    at  C,  in 

line  with  these  two  sticks,  lay  off  the  50,  100, 

150  ft.,  etc.  marks  and  then  at  these  last  named 

points  erect  the  lines  F,   G,   II  perpendicular 

to  the  line    C-D,  according  to  the  rule  given 

in  connection  with  fig.  247  ;   mark  these  lines 

with  stakes  at  F,  G  and  II  and  also   beyond 

where  the  curve  is  likely  to  reach.      On  F,  G, 

II  lay  off  the  distances  given  in  Table  III  for 

the  curve  that  has  been  decided  upon.     If  it 

is  to  be  a  10  deg.  curve  the  radius  will  be  574 

ft.   loii£    and   the  respective  distances  on  the 

lines  F,  G,  II  in  fig.  249,  will  be  2.2  ft.,  8.8 

ft.    and    2.0.0    ft.     This  method  is  sufficiently 

accurate   for  all   ordinary   purposes   if  care  is 

used  in  locating  the  different  points. 

In  order  to  fiud  out  what  curve  is  required 
from  a  certain  tangent  in  order  to  strike  a 
certain  point  in  a  railroad  track,  the  same 
method  already  described  may  be  used  or  else 
the  reverse  of  it  which  is  as  follows.  Suppose 
for  instance  that  in  front  of  a  factory,  as  in  fig. 
2  •">;•>,  from  a  tangent  A-  C  it  is  desired  to  lay 
off  a  curve  which  will  not  reach  beyond  C  and 
will  be  tangent  to  the  line  of  fro""  near  E. 


FIG.  253.— Laying  Out  Curves. 


240 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


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RULES  AND  TABLES.     241 

First  stake  off  the  tangent  A  -  C  -  K  parallel  Laying  out 
with  the  factory  and  locate  the  50  ft.  points  curves- 
beginning  at  C.     Erect  the  perpendiculars  at 
If,  G,  II  and  then  by  means  of  Table  III,  lay 
off  any  curve,  as  C  -  B,  which  is  a  6°  curve. 
This  is  too  flat  so  next  a  12°  curve,  C-D  is 
tried  ;   this  proves  too  sharp  but  after  continual 
trials  the  right  one  will  be  found  which  in  fig. 

O  O 

253  is  seen  to  be  C-E,  a  10°  curve. 

Frequently  in  this  method,  it  will  be  found 
that  the  curve,  although  it  strikes  near  E,  will 
not  fit  the  frog.  In  this  case  the  point  C  must 
be  moved  nearer  to  E  and  new  curves  tried 
until  the  right  one  is  found.  But  no  matter 
what  trouble  is  experienced  at  first,  let  it  be 
remembered  that  any  trackman  can  use  this 
table  successfully  if  he  will  only  try. 

In  bending  rails  to  fit  the  curves  at  switches  Curving 
and  in  the  inain  track,  Table  IV  will  be  found  rails 
useful. 


6%'  ff  -  ff»-  ----  *)*-  ---    ff/ff-  -  —  JE  ----    tf/*'—  —  j| 

---  -----  26  )\ 

FIG.  254.  —  Bending  Rails. 

Fig.  254  represents  a  26  ft.  rail  which  is 
to  be  made  to  conform  to  an  11°  curve.  Take 
a  line  jind  stretch  it  on  the  gage  side  of  the 
head  from  one  end  of  the  rail  to  the  other  ; 
mark  the  middle  at  A,  13  ft.  from  each  end, 
and  the  quarters  B  and  C,  6  J  ft.  each  from  the 
middle  and  the  ends.  According  to  Table  IV, 
when  the  rail  is  properly  bent,  the  perpendic- 
ular distance  A  (middle  ordinate)  from  the  line 
to  the  rail-head  will  be  2  inches,  while  B  and 
C  (ordinates  at  the  quarters)  will  each  of  them 
be  |  of  this  distance,  which  is  \\  inches. 

Frogs   which   arc   used   with   a  switch,  are  Frognum- 
most   often  described  by  their   numbers,   but  bersand 
sometimes  according  to  the  angle  formed  by 


242  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


TABLE  IV. — MIDDLE-ORDINATES  FOR  CURVING  RAILS. 

(Ordinates  at  the  quarters  are  £  of  Middle  -Ordinates.) 


8  . 

p 

LENGTH  OF  RAILS  (Feet). 

h 

0      . 

B    W 

30 

28 

26 

24  !  22  1  20  |  18 

16  1  14 

12 

10 

INCHES. 

1° 

2° 
3° 

4° 
5° 

i 
ft 

it 

A 

A 

1 

A 

I 
A 

1 

i     i     i    A 
A    i     i    A 
A    1    A    i 
1     i     i     1 
1     1    A    A 

A   A 
i     i 
i    A 
A    i 
1     i 

A 
A 

A 
A 

A 

A 

V 
i 

1° 

2° 
3° 

4° 
5° 

IA  H  IA  H  «  i    i  A  A  i  A  e< 
7°  IH  H  H  IA  i  if      TV 


9 
10 


r.  IH  IA  IA  IA  t  H  A  i  A  i 
21  H  it  it  n  «  i  t  i  t  i 
21  2,v  IH  n  IA  IA  *  H  A  2 


8 

9 

10 


11 
12 
13 
14 
15 


f   2-  LH.iAJAit    I          A  A 

2H2A2-    IH  If     4 


3A  21     2J-    21     Hf  li     ltV  ]          f     TV 
3fV  3J     2ft  21     lf|  1-^g-  1-jV  1^    «     |    ^i 


11° 

12° 
13° 
14° 
15° 


16C 

ir 

18C 
19( 
20C 


3f    3^  21     2TV  2^  IH  If     li       if    A 

4-  3|  3^  2Tv  2A  IH  ITV  IA  t  H  A 


4i   3u  »A  2ii  2A  H    IA  H     if   H  t 

4J    3f    3|    21    2TV  2-    If     lfV  1-      |- 


4|   44-   3^3-^2^24   mif   i^   «  A 


16 
17 

18 
19 
20 


^j  5      03  03      O11O3  113.1711  i  _991° 

4A    ^T  dA    ^TIT    ^A  Al  6     ATV    -1  8"  1  A    Zi 

5_3    41     314  3-5    2—4-  2-5  1-^-     1--     !-•—  -1*-  — s-    *^2° 

KJL   4JJ     41  "^  T_    91  5     93  11_5     1  '9      13  15        5     i  9Q° 

°lV  4T¥  4TT  rfA  *TT   Z"8  -"-if   *A    *TT  T6      ¥   I  Zrf 

5|    4^  41  3|    3-ig.  2|-  2TV  IH  li  if    |    24° 

5j     5^     4Tv  3f     3^-  2|  2-1     If     lyV  1  -  H   25° 


fi  1       ^  5      A  5        <:i^I       ^5      911     93      113     13        1  1  1 

bA   °lV   4t      d4      d T F   ZT¥   ^TT    1T'B-    18^       -1  ~     TIT 


6  A  54   4!    4A  3  A  2|f  2Tv  11    IA  IA  H 
0A  5H  4if  4A  3A  2i|  2|    i||  IA  l-i     I 

6»  5*     51    4|     3|     3-   2A2-    H     H      f 


26 

27 
28 
29 


RULES  AND  TABLES.     243 

the  two  running  rails  ;  this  latter  method  is  Frog  num- 
always  used  when  speaking  of  crossing  frogs.    bers  and 

The  number  of  a  frog  is  determined  by  divid-  a' 
ing  distance,  B,  in  fig.  255,  into  distance,   A, 


FIG.  255. — Frog  Numbers  and  Angles. 

remembering  always  to  use  the  true  (or  "  the- 
oretical") point  of  the  frog;  this  is  not  the 
end  of  the  rails  but  may  be  found  by  laying  a 
straight  edge  on  each  gage  side  of  the  frog  and 
marking  the  place  where  the  straight  edges 
come  together.  As  an  example  let  it  be  sup- 
posed that  A  equals  48  inches,  and  B  equals  8 
inches.  Then  48  divided  by  8  equals  6,  and 
the  frog  is  therefore  a  number  6. 

Since  the  object  of  this  calculation  is  only 
to  find  the  proportion  existing  between  the 
length  and  the  width  of  the  frog,  a  divided 
measure  is  not  at  all  necessary  for  it ;  anything, 
a  lead  pencil  or  a  stick,  which  is  shorter  than 


244  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

Frog  num.  the   width  of  the  frog  at  the  heel,  will  do. 

bersand  place  the  article  where  its  length  is  exactly 
equal  to  the  distance  between  the  gage  lines 
and  measure  with  it  from  there  to  the  true 
point.  The  number  of  lengths  made  in  the  last 
measurement  equals  the  number  of  the  frog  ; 
that  is  if  the  place  from  which  the  measurement 
started  is  six  times  as  far  from  the  point  as  the 
lead  pencil  is  long,  it  is  a  number  six  frog. 

When  only  the  angle  of  a  frog  is  known 
and  the  number  is  also  desired,  tirst  reduce 
the  angle  to  minutes  (there  are  sixty  minutes 
in  a  degree)  and  then  divide  3440  by  it.  The 
result  will  equal  the  number  of  the  frog. 

Example  :  What  is  the  number  of  a  5°  44f 
(five  degrees  and  forty-four  minutes)  frog  ? 

5°  44'  =  5  X  60  -f  44  =  344'.  3440  divided 
by  344  =  10.  That  is,  a  No.  10  frog. 

Conversely,  when  only  the  number  is  known 
and  the  angle  is  also  desired  divide  3440  by 
the  number  of  the  frog  and  reduce  the  result 
to  degrees  and  minutes. 

Example  :  What  is  the  angle  of  a  No.  8  frog  ? 
«f       3440  divided  by  8  =  430',  and  430  divided 
by  60  =  7-J&  =  7°  10'.    That  is  a  seven  degree 
and  ten  minutes  (7°  10')  frog. 

switch  A  common  rule  for   the  calculation  of    a 

leads.  switch  lead  was  to  multiply  twice  the  gage  of 
the  track  by  the  number  of  the  frog.  This 
rule  is  well  enough  for  the  shorter  leads,  but 
in  the  case  of  a  No.  10  frog,  it  amounts  to  a 
distance  of  94  feet,  which  besides  being  un- 
necessarily great,  requires  that  the  point  of 
the  switch  rail  shall  be  planed  to  a  too  fine 
point.  The  method  of  calculating  has  there- 
fore been  changed  in  the  table  contained  in 
this  volume.  It  will  be  noticed  in  Table  Y 
that  an  18  ft.  point  is  provided  for  the  1.1  and 
12  split  switch  leads.  This  was  done  because 
those  two  frogs  are  seldom  used  except  where 


RULES  AND  TABLES.'   245 

trains  are  expected  to  run  fast ;  in  that  case,  switch 
the  easier  the  bend  at  the  main  track,  the  bet-  leads< 
ter.  With  the  4  and  5  split  switches  a  10  ft. 
point  is  arranged  for,  because  these  frogs 
should  not  be  used  except  to  make  the  lead 
as  short  as  possible  ;  hence  the  necessity  of 
contributing  to  this  object  in  every  legitimate 
way.  In  determining  the  leads  and  cross  dis- 
tances of  all  the  switches,  a  regular  curve  is 
assumed  to  begin  at  the  heel  of  the  switch  and 
continue  to  within  exactly  5  ft.  of  the  theoreti- 
cal point  of  frog.  It  is  believed  that  with  the 
distances  shown  in  fig.  256  and  the  correspond- 
ing amounts  in  Table  V,  any  of  the  switches 
named  there,  may  be  put  in  accurately  and 
without  difficulty.  The  distances  A,  B,  C  and 
D  are  all  of  them  to  be  marked  with  chalk  on 
the  main  track  rail,  measuring  from  the  the- 
oretical point  of  frog  as  a  starting  point. 
Then  at  these  places  and  from  the  gage  side 
of  the  main  track  rail  to  the  gage  side  of  the 
side  track  rail,  the  distances  a,  b  and  c  are  to 
be  laid  off  perpendicular  to  the  main  rail.  The 
distance  d  of  course,  is  nothing  but  the  gage 
minus  the  offset  of  6  in.  for  split  switches,  and 
the  gage  minus  the  5  in.  throw  for  stub 
switches,  since  these  are  constant  distances 
for  all  numbers  of  frogs.  For  convenience, 
the  diagrams  (fig.  25(3)  are  shown  with  a 
.straight  main  track  ;  but  it  is  to  be  understood 
that  if  the  main  track  is  curved,  the  degrees 
of  curves  and  the  radii  of  the  side  track  rail 
will  be  different  from  those  named  in  Table  V. 
If  the  frog  is  in  the  outer  rail  of  a  curved 
main  track,  the  degree  of  curve  of  the  lead 
will  be  equal  to  the  degree  of  curve  given  in 
the  table,  minus  the  degree  of  curve  of  the 
main  track.  If  the'  frog  is  in  the  inner  rail  of 
a  curved  main  track,  the  degree  of  curve 
of  the  lead  will  equal  the  degree  of  curve 


246 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


RULES  AND  TABLES.     247 


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248  THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 

given  in  Table  V  phis  the  degree  of  curve  of 
the  main  track.  The  distances  along  the  main 
track  rail  and  the  cross  distances  will  remain, 
for  all  practical  purposes,  the  same  as  though 
the  main  track  were  straight. 

Three-  The  combinations  which  are  possible  between 

throw  two  switches  arc  so  numerous  that  no  table  can 
switches.  jj0  framcc|  which  will  begin  to  meet  the  re- 
quirements. With  split  switches  these  com- 
binations are  infinite  as  is  evident  from  rig. 
257,  where  are  illustrated  the  three  bases  of 
procedure.  In  A,  which  is  comparatively 
rare,  the  points  begin  at  practically  the  same 
place  which  results  in  a  lead  to  all  intents  the 
same  as  that  of  a  three-throw  stub  switch. 
This  is  the  plan  followed  in  Table  VII. 
B  assumes  that  the  frogs  are  placed  opposite 
each  other  and  that  the  switch-point  of  the 
short  lead  is  far  enough  back  of  the  other 
switch-point  to  leave  room  for  the  "throw" 
and  the  attachment  of  the  connecting-rod. 
This  is  not  a  very  rational  method  since  it 
leaves  too  small  a  choice  of  frogs  to  meet  the 
'special  cases  which  will  surely  arise.  Plan  C 
is  the  one  which  offers  the  greatest  variety. 
Since  a  three-throw  switch  should  never  be 
used  if  there  is  any  way  of  putting  in  two  en- 
tirely separate  single  switches  this  plan  is  the 
best  one  of  the  three  that  have  been  described. 
It  is  not  only  the  best  because  it  permits  the 
greatest  variety  of  leads  but  because  it  more 
nearly  secures  the  same  track  conditions  that 
exist  when  two  entirely  separate  leads  are 
used.*  Although,  as  has  been  stated,  it  is 
impossible  to  frame  a  table  fulfilling  these  con- 
ditions, fig.  258  and  Table  VII  present  one 

'*  In  that  useful  work  already  mentioned,  "Switch  Layouts 
and  Curve  Easements,"  Mr.  Torrey  has  included  nearly  a  hundred 
diagrams  of  various  three-throw  switch  leads  which  contain  all 
the  information  necessary  for  putting  them  in,  together  with  a 
table  of  switch-timbers  for  each  one.  Table  IV  is  adapted  from. 


RULES  AND  TABLES.     249 


\ 


A  B       |  I        C 

FIG.  257.— Methods  of  Arranging  Three-Throw  Split  Switches. 


250 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


TABLE   VI. —  NUMBER  OF  SWITCH-TIES   FOR   USE  WITH 
TABLES  V  AND  VII. 

1— Head- Block  8  in.  by  12  in.— 16  ft.  long  with  each  Single  Split  and  Stub 
Switch  and  each  Three-Throw  Stub  Switch. 

2— Head-Blocks  8  in.  by  12  in.— 16  ft.  long  with   each   Three-Throw  Split 
Switch. 

All  other  Switch-Ties  7  in.  by  9  in. — 20  in.  center  to  center. 
Standard  Cross-Ties  8  ft.  6  in.  long. 


NUMBER  OF  FROG 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

Feet 
Long 

Number  of  Pieces 

7  in.  by 

9  in 

fStub  Switch, 

9 

1 

1 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

a 

2 

Split  Switch, 

6 

6 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

11 

1  1 

SINGLE 

( 

10 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

10 

11 

12 

13 

Alike 

11 

8 

4 

6 

6 

7 

9 

9 

11 

11 

SWITCHES 

for  Split   j 

12 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

6 

7 

9 

9 

and  Stub   1 

13 

2 

3 

3 

4 

;) 

6 

/ 

I 

s 

Switches 

14 

3 

3 

3 

5 

4 

0 

6 

6 

7 

I 

15 

2 

3 

4 

4 

5 

5 

(•> 

6 

8 

f  Stub  Switch, 

—     —    —     —     —    —     —     —     —  . 

Split  Switch, 

V 

3 

3 

5 

5 

5 

5 

5 

i 

f> 

Stub  Switch, 

1  t\ 

3 

3 

;") 

5 

6 

6 

6 

r> 

6 

Split  Switch, 

5 

5 

7 

7 

8 

8 

8 

9 

10 

r 

11 

2 

3 

5 

5 

5 

5 

6 

7 

8 

THREE- 

Alike 

12 
13 

2 
2 

3 

2 

3 
3 

4 
3 

4 
4 

a 
4 

5 
4 

6 
5 

6 
5 

THROW    <          for 

14 

IT) 

1 
1 

2 
1 

2 

2 

3 
2 

3 
3 

4 
3 

4 
4 

5 

4 

5 

4 

SWITCHES 

Split 

16 

17 

1 

2 

2 
1 

2 
1 

2 
2 

2 
2 

2 
3 

3 
3 

4 
4 

4 
4 

,        * 

IS 

1 

2 

2 

2 

3 

3 

8 

g 

4 

and 

19 

1 

1 

2 

2 

2 

3 

3 

3 

4 

20 

1 

2 

2 

2 

3 

2 

3 

3 

3 

Stub 

21 

2 

1 

1 

2 

2 

3 

3 

3 

3 

Switches 

22 

1 

2 

2 

2 

2 

3 

3 

3 

4 

Feet 

i           ( 

Long 

NUMBER  OF  FROG. 

4 

5 

I) 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

RULES  AND  TABLES.     251 
SPLIT  SWITCHES. 


K-Head  Block  to  Middle  Froq— *l 


STUB  SWITCHES. 


k Head  Block  to  Middle  Froq 

FIG.  258. — Diagram  to  accompany  Table  VII. 

TABLE  VIL— THREE-THROW    SPLIT    AND    STUB-SWITCH 

LEADS. 

Offset  at  heel  of  Split  Switches  =  6  inches. 
Throw  of  Stub  Switches  =  5  inches  in  each  direction. 
Left-hand  Split  Switch  to  be  placed  18  inches  in  advance  of  Right-hand 
Split  Switch. 


ii 

MIDDLE 

MIDDLE 
FROG  TO 

HEAD  BLOCK  TO 
MIDDLE  FROG. 

SWITCH  RAIL  LENGTH. 

*  £ 

FROG 

TVT    ATVT 

H    * 

8  5 

ANGLE. 

FROG. 

Split  Switch 

Stub  Switch 

Split  Switch  Stub  Switch. 

I* 

Deg.     Min. 

Feet  Inches 

Feet  Inches 

Feet  Inches 

Feet  Inches  Feet  Inches 

4 

22  -  58 

9  -  8J 

24-9 

16-6 

10-0       10-11 

5 

17  -  52 

12  -  5^ 

28-0 

19  -  oi 

10-0       12-9 

6 

14  -  30 

15  -  2^ 

38-4 

25  -  8* 

15-0       16-8 

7 

12  -  14 

18  -  0^ 

41-7 

29-1 

15-0       18-6 

8 

10  -  38 

20  -  9^ 

44  -  41 

31  -  10| 

15-0       20-8 

9 

9-28 

23-6 

47-0 

34  -  6i 

15-0       23-4 

10 

8-32 

26-2 

49-5 

37-0 

15-0       25-0 

11 

7-40 

29  -  01 

57-3 

42  -  1| 

18-0       25-0 

12 

7-04 

31  -  74 

59-6 

44-8 

18-0       25-0 

252 


THE  NEW  ROADMASTER'S  ASSISTANT. 


Locating 
frogs. 


method  of  putting  in  both  split  and  stub  3- 
throw-switches. 

The  ordinary  rule  for  determining  the  dis- 
tance between  frogs  in  crossovers  is  to  subtract 
twice  the  gage  from  the  distance  between  cen- 
ters and  multiply  the  result  by  the  number  of 
the  frog.  This  does  perfectly  well  for  frogs 
of  large  number  but  is  not  close  enough  for 
number  4  and  5  frogs.  As  for  example — 


Distance  between  centers  = 
Gaffe  =4.71  ft.     Twice  4.71  = 


Number  of  frog  = 


-  13.00ft, 

-  9.42  ft. 

3.58 
4 


14.32  ft. 


That  is,  14  ft.  4  in.  from  frog  to  frog  along  the 
main  rail. 

But  Table  VIII,  under  the  heading  of  13  ft. 
between  centers  of  tracks,  gives  this  distance 

TABLE  VIII. — DISTANCE  D.     FROG  TO  FROG  ALONG  THE 
MAIN  RAIL  IN  CROSS-OVERS  —  G-age,  4  ft.  8-J  in. 


DISTANCE  BETWEEX  CENTERS  OP  TRACKS. 


IS 

£ 

Ft.     In. 
11-0 

Ft.     In. 
11-6 

Ft.    In. 
12-0 

Ft.     In. 
12-6 

Ft.     In. 
13-0 

Ft.     In. 
13-6 

Ft.    In. 

14-0 

4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 

5-7 
7-4 
9-0 
10-8 
12-4 
13-11 
15-6 
17-2 
18-9 

7-6 
9-9 
12-0 
14-1 
16-3 
18-5 
20-6 
22-8 
24-9 

9-6 
12-3 
14-11 
17-7 
20-3 
22-11 
25-6 
28-2 
30-8 

11-5 
14-8 
17-11 
21-1 
24-3 
27-5 
30-6 
33-8 
36-8 

13-5 
17-2 
20-10 
24-6 
28-3 
31-10 
35-6 
39-2 
42-8 

15-4 
19-7 
23-10 
28-0 
32-2 
36-4 
40-5 
44-8 
48-7 

17-4 
22-0 
26-9 
31-5 
36-2 
40-10 
45-5 
50-2 
54-7 

FIG.  259.— Diagram  to  accompany  Table  VIII. 


RULES  AND  TABLES.     253 


as  13  ft.  5  in.,  a  difference  of  nearly  a  foot.  In 
placing  the  frogs  according  to  the  above  rule, 
or  Table  VIII,  first  let  fall  a  perpendicular 
from  one  of  the  frog  points,  A  fig.  259,  to  the 
nearest  rail  of  the  other  track  at  B.  From  B 
lay  off  the  proper  distance  D;  then  C  will  be 
the  location  of  the  other  frog  point. 


NDEX. 


A. 

Alexander  car  replacer,  196. 
American  nut-lock,  111. 
American  Steel  Foundry,  ditch- 
ing- machine,  58. 
Anchor  fence  post,  22 
Angle  bars  (see  rail  joints). 
Avery  steel  fence  post,  23. 

B. 
Ballast,  75. 

stone,  76« 

conveyers,  77. 

crushers,  78. 

cleaning,  79. 

gravel,  79. 

plow,  82. 

unloader,  83. 

cars,  84. 

heaving,  86. 

sections,  87-89,  91. 

drains,  90. 

picks,  156. 

forks,  158. 

car  capacity  for,  229. 

quantities  per  mile,  230. 
Barnhart  ballast  plow,  82. 
Barrett  track  jack,  92. 
Bell-crank,  219. 
Bending  (see  curving  rails). 
Block  signaling,  224. 

banjo  signal,  225. 

banner  signal,  226. 

track  circuit,  226. 
Bolt- lock,  216. 

Boyer  &  Radford  track  jack,  93. 
Bogue  &  Mills  crossing  gate,  44. 
Bond  steel  fence  post,  23. 
Bracket  post,  208. 
Bridge  floor,  69. 

ballasted,  70. 

protected,  71. 

shimming,  72. 
Bridge  -warning,  40. 
Bryant  rail  saw,  146. 
Bucyrus  steam  shovel,  81. 
Buda  Foundry  Co.,  drills,  144. 

hand  car,  151. 


Bumper,  curved  rail,  32. 

clamped,  32. 

triangular,  32. 

timber,  33. 

braced  spring,  33. 

Ellis,  33. 

Bush  cattle  guard,  25. 
Bush  interlocking  bolt,  67. 


C. 

Car  replacers,  196. 
Cattle  guards,  24. 

Bush,  25. 

Kalamazoo,  25, 

National,  25. 

Standard,  26. 

Merrill-Stevens,  26. 
Caution  signs,  use  of,  18. 
Chain  wheel,  220. 
Churchill  joint,  117. 
Clamp  for  tape  line,  155. 
Claw  bar,  160. 
Compensators,  220. 
Competition,  6. 
Continuous  joint,  116. 
Creeping  rails,  137. 
Crossings,  signs,  36. 

bells,  41. 

gate  (pneumatic),  43. 

continuous,  179. 

narrow  angle,  180. 

Fontaine,  181. 

wide-angle,  181. 

steam  and  street,  181. 
Cross  ties  (see  ties). 
Culverts,  cleaning,  2. 

pipe,  68. 

wooden,  69. 
Curves,  elevation  on,  134. 

elevation  on  bridges,  135. 

easement,  136. 

widening  gage  on,  136. 

degree  of,  235. 

laying  out,  236-240. 

radii  and  offsets,  240. 
Curving  rails,  140. 

ordinates  for,  241. 


256 


INDEX. 


D. 

Decimals   of   a   foot  in    inches, 

231-233. 

Detector  bars,  214. 
Discipline,  5. 
Distant  signal,  205. 
Ditches,  cleaning,  2. 

paving,  58. 

sodding  banks,  60. 

slope,  61. 

slope  gage,  62. 
Ditching,  methods,  57. 

machine,  57. 

shovel,  161. 
Drainage,  55. 

Dump-car  (Goodwin),  84,  85. 
Dwarf  signal,  207. 


E. 

Elliot  Frog  &  Switch  Co.,  rail 

brace,  137. 
spring-rail  frog,  187. 
Ellis  bumping  post,  33. 
Embankments,  63. 
Emergencies,  193. 
Emerson  rail-bender,  141. 
Ei'ie  railroad  ballast  sections,  87. 
Eureka  nut-lock,  111. 
Eureka  spring-rail  irog,  187. 
Eyeless  tools,  157. 


F. 

Facing-point  lock,  213. 
Fairbanks,  Morse   &   Co.,   rail- 
bender,  141. 

one-man  velocipede,  148. 

gasoline  motor,  150. 

push  car,  152. 

loot  guard,  177. 
Feet  and  inches  (decimals),  231- 

233. 
Fence,  19  (see  wire  fences). 

gangs,  24. 

Fence-posts,  (see  posts). 
Filling  blocks,  138. 
Fires,  17. 
Fisher  joint,  115. 

offset  splice,  131. 
Fixed  signals,  201. 
Flag  holder,  163. 
Fontaine  crossing,  181. 
Foot  guards,  176. 


Foremen,  as  laborers,  13. 

residence,  14. 
Frogs,  inspection,  2. 

angles    and    numbers,    165, 
242-244. 

movable,  179. 

rigid  plate,  183. 

rigid  yoke,  183. 

rigid  bolted,  184. 

spring  rail,  185-187. 

putting  in,  252,  253. 

G. 

Gangs,  combining  of,  12. 

Gasoline  motors,  149. 

Gate,  farm,  21. 

Goodwin  dump  car,  84,  85. 

Grass,  3. 

Gravel,  ballast,  79. 

pits,  79. 

distributing,  80. 
Grip  nut,  113. 
Guard  rails,  174,  175. 

fastener,  176. 

H. 

Haarmann- Victor  rail,  122. 

Hammers,  158. 

Hand-cars,  use  and  abuse,  4. 

types  of,  151. 
Harp  switch-stand,  191. 
Hartley  &  Teeter  velocipede,  149. 
Harvey  nut  lock,  112. 
Hawks  offset  splice,  131. 
Highway  crossing,  19. 

open,  27. 

old-rail  protection,  27. 

bells,  41. 

gates,  43. 
Hollow  tires,  17. 
Home  signals,  204. 
Hydraulic  ram,  48. 

I. 

Inches,  decimals,  231-233. 
Interlocking  signals,  201. 

machine,  203. 

levers,  221. 

pneumatic,  223. 
Intoxicants,  6. 

J. 

Jack-knife  switch-stand,  191. 
Jaws  (interlocking),  219. 


INDEX. 


257 


Jenne  track  jack,  92. 
Jim  crow,  140. 
Joints  (see  rail  joints). 

K, 

Kalamazoo  cattle  guard,  25. 

one-man  velocipede,  147. 

safety  velocipede,  148. 

gasoline  motor,  150. 

early  hand-car,  151. 
Katte  rail,  124. 
Knots,  194. 

L. 

Lamp  signals,  200. 

Lazy  jack,  220. 

Leads  for  switches,  244-251. 

Lee's  ballasted  trestle,  70. 

Lidgerwood  unloader,  83. 

Lining  bar,  160. 

Long  truss  joint,  118. 

M. 

Mail  cranes,  34. 
Material,  location  of,  6. 

extra,  193. 

quantities  per  mile,  230. 
Mattock,  156. 

Merrill- Stevens  cattle  guard,  26. 
Metal  posts,  22,  38,  39. 
Mile  posts,  37. 
Monument,  39. 

N. 

Napping  hammer,  158. 
National  catt.e  guard,  25. 

nut  lock,  112. 
New  road,  finishing,  1. 
New  York  Central  ballast   sec- 
tions, 89. 

Nuts,  quantities  per  mile,  230. 
Nut  locks.  111. 

quantities  per  mile,  230. 

0. 

Offset  splices,  131. 

Oliver   Iron  &    Steel   Co.,  grip 

nut,  113. 
O'Neil  crossing  bell,  42. 

track  instrument,  42. 
Opposite  and  broken  joints  (see 
rail  joints). 


P. 

Paint,  41. 

Pennsylvania   Railroad   ballast 

sections,  88. 

Pennsylvania  Steel  Co.,  3-th  row 
switch,  170. 

automatic  switch  stand,  189. 
Perpendiculars,  erecting  and  let- 

ting fall,  234. 
Picks,  156. 
Pinch  bar,  160. 
Pipe  and  wire  adjusters,  220. 

carriers,  218. 
Platforms,  19. 

terra-cotta,  28. 
Pneumatic  interlocking,  223. 
Poage  water  crane,  51. 
Pole  drains,  60. 
Posts,  19. 

anchor,  22. 

Bond  steel,  23,  38,  39. 

Avery,  23. 

distances  apart,  24. 

mile,  37. 

Post-hole  shovels,  162. 
Promotion,  7. 
Pumps,  48. 


Q  &  C  Co.,  Servis  tie-plate,  98. 
Bryant  rail  saw,  146. 

R. 

Rail,  form  and  comparisons,  107. 
ends,  121. 

Haarman-Vietor,  122. 
Katte,  124. 
long,  124. 
continuous,  124. 
welded,  125. 

counting  and  turning,  127. 
unloading,  128. 
re-laying,  129. 
spacing,  130. 
time  to  relay,  132. 
short  pieces,  132. 
braces,  137. 
expansion  device,  139. 
curving,  140. 
benders,  140. 

Sunch,  142. 
rilling.  143. 
drills,  143. 


258 


INDEX. 


Rail—  (Continued). 

cutting,  145. 

saws,  146. 

tongs,  162. 

fork,  163. 

at  switches,  174. 

quantities  per  mile,  230. 
Rail  joints,  113-118. 

suspended    and    supported, 
119. 

offset,  131. 

opposite  and  broken,  133. 
Rainy  days,  12. 
Ramapo  automatic  switch  stand, 

188. 

Ratchet  drills,  143. 
Re-ballasting,  86. 
Re-laying  rails,  129. 
Reports,  4. 
Retaining  walls,  63. 

fou i ulations  of,  65. 
"Re-railing  device,  71, 
Reverse  pointed  spike,  67. 
Road  (highway),  28. 
Roadmaster,  duties,  7. 
Road  bed,  section,  55. 
Roberts,   Throp   &   Co.,  veloci- 
pede, 149. 

hand  car,  152. 

push  car,  152. 

foot  guard,  177. 
Rodger  ballast  car,  84. 

plow  car,  84. 
Routine  work,  12. 


S. 


Samson  joint,  114. 
Section,  house,  31. 

men,  number  per  mile,  9. 

length  of,  10. 
Selector,  216. 
Separation  of  grades,  45. 
Servis  tie  plate,  98. 
Sheffield  water  crane,  52. 

one-man  velocipede,  148. 

gasoline  motor,  150. 
3  push  car,  152. 

foot  guard,  177. 

Shimming  tool  for  bridges,  130. 
Shims,  104. 
Shovels,  161. 
Sign,  crossing-,  30. 

bridge,  etc.,  37. 


Sign  —  (Continued). 

letters,  40. 
Signals,  train,  197. 

whistle,  199. 

lamp,  200. 

fixed,  201. 

interlocking,  201. 

home,  204. 

distant,  205. 

dwarf,  207. 

block,  224. 

Six-hole  angle-bar,  114. 
Sledges,  159. 
Smith  rail  saw,  146. 
Snow  shovel,  161. 

stoi'ms,  3. 
Spike,  reverse  pointed,  67. 

holes,  103. 

various  patterns,  111. 

maul,  159. 

puller,  159. 

size,  weight,  etc.,  229. 

quantities  per  mile,  230. 
Standard  cattle  guard,  26. 
Station  grounds,  31,  45. 

platforms,  19,  28. 
Steam  shovel,  81. 
Stewart  switch,  171. 
Stone,  quarries,  76. 

size  of,  77. 

crushers,  78. 

Street-railroad  crossing,  182. 
Stringers,  67. 
Summer  work,  15. 
Super-elevation,  134. 
Surface  cattle  guards,  (see  Cattle 

guards). 
Suspended  and  supported  joints, 

119. 
Switches,  inspection,  2. 

Wharton,  105. 

Robinson-Wharton,  166. 

split,  167. 

rods,  1 67. 

reenforcement,  169. 

Stewart,  169,  171. 

three-throw,    169,   170,   172, 
248,  249. 

throw  of,  171. 

adjustment,  171. 

slip,  178. 

leads  for,  244-251. 

timbers  for,  250, 

Switch  and  lock  movement,  215. 
Switch  lamps,  192. 


INDEX. 


259 


Switch  stands,  165. 

high  automatic,  188-190. 

low  automatic,  188-190. 

for  stub  switches,  190. 

jack-knife,  191. 

harp,  191. 
Switch-throw  adjustment,  173. 


T. 

Tamping  bar,  158. 
Tape  line,  1 54. 
Testing  water,  47. 
Thomson  joint,  110,  117.. 
Ties,  renewing1,  15. 

tamping,  16. 

inspection,  95. 

sawed  or  hewed,  96. 

time  for  cutting,  97. 

preserving,  99. 

metal,  99. 

insulation,  100. 

spacing,  tamping,  etc.,  102. 

weight,  229. 

quantities  per  mile,  230. 
Tie  plates,  97. 
Tile  drain,  59. 

shovel,  162. 
Tools,  147. 

care  of,  164. 
Track,  inspection,  3. 

walkers,  13. 

signs,  35. 

tank,  "53. 

jacks,  90-94. 

bolts,  133. 

chisel,  145. 

gage,  153. 

level,  153. 

circuit,  226. 

weight  of  bolts,  229. 

quantities  of  bolts  per  mile, 

230. 

Trailing-point  switches,  215. 
Train  signals,  197. 
Trees  near  track,  2. 
Trestle,  67. 

ballasted,  70. 

typical,  73. 

erecting,  74. 


U. 

Union  Switch  &  Signal  Co., 
switch- throw  adjustment, 
173. 

banner  signal,  226. 
Unloading  rails,  127. 

V. 

Vaughan  spring- rail  frog,  186. 
Velocipede  cars,  147. 
Verona  nut  lock,  111. 

W. 

Warren  nut  lock,  112. 

Watchmen,  13. 

Water  crane,  Poage,  51. 

Sheffield,  52. 

pit,  52. 
Water  supply,  47. 

pipe,  50. 

tank,  49. 

Watson  &  Stillman,  rail  bender, 
141. 

rail  punch,  142. 

spike  slot  punch,  145. 
Way  freights,  use  of,  11. 
Weber  joint,  118. 

offset  splice,  131. 
Weeds,  cutting,  15. 
Weir  Frog  Co.,  rail  brace,  137. 

expansion  device,  139. 

reenforced  switch,  172. 

switch- throw       adjustment, 

173. 

Whitewash,  41. 
Widening  gage  on  curves,  136. 
Windmills,  48. 
Winter  work,  14. 
Wire  carriers,  219. 
Wire  fences,  20. 

Page  woven-wire,  20. 

Ellwood  woven-wire,  20. 

McMullen  woven-wire,  21. 

barbed  wire,  21. 

expanded  metal,  22. 
Work  trains,  11. 
Wrecking  force,  194. 
Wrecks,  duties  at,  195. 
Whistle  signals,  199. 
Wrenches,  155. 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX  TO  ADVERTISEMENTS. 


PAGE. 

Alexander  Car  Replacer  Mfg-.  Co., 12 

American  Steel  Foundry  Co.,       8 

Bog-ue  &  Mills  Mfg-.  Co., 25 

Bond  Steel  Post  Co.,       4 

Boyer  &  Radford, 19 

Brown,  M.  H 21 

Bucyrus  Co.,  The,      . 24 

Buda  Foundry  &  Mfg-.  Co., 13 

Continuous  Rail  Joint  Co.  of  America, 6 

Duff  Mfg-.  Co.,  The, 18 

Elliot  Frog-  &  Switch  Co., 28 

Ellwood  Mfg-.  Co.,  The,  I.  L., .     .  9 

Eureka  Nut  Lock  Co., 33 

Eyeless  Tool  Co.,  The, 5 

Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co. .     16,  17 

Goodwin  Car  Co 23 

Iron  City  Tool  Works.  Ltd-, 33 

McMullen  Woven  Wire  Fence  Co.,  The, 10 

Motley  &  Co.,  Thornton  N.,     .     . 35 

Norton,  A.  O., 19 

Oliver  Iron  &  Steel  Co.,       .    • 37 

O'Neil  Crossing  Alarm  Co.,  The, 26 

Page  Woven  Wire  Fence  Co., 11 

Pantasote  Co.,  The, .     .     .  3(3 

Pennsylvania  Steel  Co.,  The, .     .  34 

Poage,  John  N., 30,  31 

Q  &  C  Co.,  The, 1,  2,  3 

Roberts,  Throp  &  Co., 14,  15 

Rodger  Ballast  Car  Co., 22 

Tudor  Iron  Works, 12 

Union  Switch  &  Signal  Co.,  The, 27 

Warren  Lock  Washer  Co., 32 

Watson-Stillman  Co.,  The, 20 

Weber  Railway  Joint  Mfg-.  Co.,  The, 7 

Weir  Frog- Co., 29 


CLASSIFIED  INDEX  TO  ADVERTISEMENTS. 


BALLAST  CARS 

Goodwin  Car  Co.. .  .New  York,  N.  Y. 

Rodger  Ballast  Car  Co. . .  Chicago,  111. 
BLOCK  SIGNALS 

Union  Switch  &  Signal  Co.,  The, 
BOLTS  AND  NUTS        Swissvale,  Pa. 

Motley  &  Co., Thornton  N.,  New  York. 

Oliver  Iron  &  SteelCo.  Pittsburgh,Pa. 

Tudor  Iron  Works St.  Louis,  Mo. 

CAR  REPLACERS 

Alexander  Car  Replacer  Mfg.  Co. 

Scranton,  Pa. 

Buda  Fdy.  &  Mfg.  Co.  ,  .Harvey,  111. 

Motley  &  Co.  ,Thornton  N. ,  New  York. 
CATTLE  GUARDS 

Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.  Chicago,  111. 
CROSSING  ALARMS 

O'Neil  Crossing  Alarm  Co.,  The, 

Cleveland,  O. 

Union  Switch  &  Signal  Co.,  The, 
CROSSING  GATES        Swissvale,  Pa. 

Bogue  &  Mills  Mfg.  Co.  Chicago,  111. 
CROSSINGS  . 

ElliotFrog&SwitchCo.  E.St.LouisJH. 

Pennsylvania  Steel  Co . .  Steelton,  Pa. 

Union  Switch  &  Signal  Co.,  The, 

Swissvale,  Pa. 

Weir  Frog  Co ,  Cincinnati,  O. 

DUMP  CARS 

Goodwin  Car  Co. , .  .New  York,  N  Y 

Rodger  Ballast  .Car  Co.  .Chicago,  III. 
EXCAVATORS 

Bucyrus  Co.,  The..S.  Milwaukee,Wis. 
FENCES 

Ellwood  Mfg.  Co.,  I.  L. .  .De  Kalb,  111. 

McMullen  Woven  Wire  Fence  Co* 

Chicago.,  IU. 

Page  Woven  Wire  Fence  Co. 
FENCE  POSTS  Adrian,  Mich. 

Bond  Steel  Post  Co Adrian,  Mich 

FROGS 

ElliotFrog&SwitchCo.  E.St.LouisJH. 

Pennsylvania  Steel  Co ..  Steelton,  Pa. 

Union  Switch  &  Signal  Co.,  The, 

Swissvale,  Pa. 

Weir  Frog  Co Cincinnati,  O. 

HAND  AND  INSPECTION  CARS 

Buda  Fdy.  &  Mfg.  Co. . .  .Harvey,  111. 

Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.  Chicago,  111 

Roberts,  Throp  &  Co. 

Three  Rivers,  Mich. 
INTERLOCKING  SIGNALS 

Union  Switch  &  Signal  Co.,  The, 
JACKS  Swissvale,  Pa. 

Boyer  &  Radford Dayton,  O. 

Duff  Mfg.  Co.,  The..  .Allegheny,  Pa. 

Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.  Chicago.  111. 

Motley  &  Co., Thornton  N.,  New  York. 

A.  O.  Norton Boston,  Mass. 

Q  &  C  Co. ,  The Chicago,  111. 

Watson-Stillman  Co.,  The, 

New  York,  N.  Y. 
NUT  LOCKS 

Eureka  Nut  Lock  Co.  Pittsburgh,Pa. 

Motley  &  Co., Thornton  N.,  New  York. 

Oliver  Iron  &SteelCo.  Pittsburgh,Pa. 

WarrenLockWasherCo.Boston,Mass. 


PANTASOTE 

Pantasote  Co.,  The,  New  York,  N.  Y. 
PUSH  CARS 

Buda  Fdy.  &  Mfg.  Co. . .  .Harvey,  111. 
Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.  Chicago,  111. 
Roberts,  Throp  &  Co. 

Three  Rivers,  Mich. 
RAIL  BENDERS 

Brown,  M.  H New  York,  N.  Y. 

Buda  Fdy.  &  Mfg.  Co. . .  .Harvey,  111. 
Watson-Stillman  Co.,  The, 

New  York,  N.  Y. 
RAIL  JOINTS 
American  Steel  Fdy.  Co. 

St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Continuous  Rail  Joint  Co.  of  Amer- 
ica  Newark,  N.  J. 

Tudor  Iron  Works St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Weber  Railway  Joint  Mfg.  Co. ,  The, 

New  York,  N.  Y. 
RAIL  PUNCHES 
Watson-Stillman  Co.,  The, 

New  York,  X.  Y. 
RAIL  SAWS 

Q  &  C  Co.,  The Chicago,  111. 

RAILS 

Pennsylvania  Steel  Co ..  Steelton,  Pa. 
SIGNAL  POSTS 

Bond  Steel  Post  Co. . .  .Adrian,  Mich. 
SPIKES 
Motley  &  Co., Thornton  N.,  New  York. 

Tudor  Iron  WTorks St.  Louis,  Mo. 

SWITCHES 
Elliot  Frog  &  Switch  Co. 

E.  St.  Louis,  III. 

Pennsylvania  Steel  Co.  .Steelton,  Pa. 
Union  Switch  &  Signal  Co.,  The, 

Swissvale.  Pa. 

Weir  Frog  Co Cincinnati,  O. 

SWITCH  STANDS 
Buda  Fdy.  &  Mfg.  Co. . .  .Harvey,  111. 
Elliot  Frog  &  Switch  Co. 

E.  St.  Louis,  111. 

Pennsylvania  Steel  Co.  .Steelton,  Pa. 
Union  Switch  &  Signal  Co.,  The, 

Swissvale,  Pa. 

Weir  Frog  Co Cincinnati,  O. 

TANK  VALVES 
Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.  Chicago,  111. 

Poage,  John  N Cincinnati,  O. 

TIE  PLATES 
Motley  &  Co., Thornton  N.,  New  York. 

Q&CCo.,... Chicago,  111. 

TRACK  TOOLS 

Buda  Fdy.  &  Mfg.  Co. . .  .Harvey,  111. 
Eyeless  fool  Co.,The,  NewYork',N.  Y. 
Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.  Chicago,  111. 
Iron  City  Tool  Works,  Ltd. 

Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

Motley  &  Co., Thornton  N.,  New  York. 
Oliver  Iron  &  Steel  Co. 

Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

Q  &  C  Co.,  The Chicago,  111. 

WATER  COLUMNS  AND  TANKS 
Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.  Chicago,  111. 

Poage,  John  N Cincinnati,  O. 

Motley  &  Co., Thornton  N.,  New  York. 


SERVIS  TIE  PLATE 


L 


Only  Tie  Plate  in  successful  use  for  a  period 
of  ten  years 


THK  Q  &  C  Co. 

CHICAGO  NEW  YORK 


BRYANT  RAIL  SAW 


TIIMIIE     _^3ST3D 


THE  Q  &  C  Co., 

CHICAGO  NEW  YORK 


The  Best  is  as 

Good  .as  any 


The.Q&C 
Compound 
Lever  Jacks 


MADE  IN  19  SIZES 
ALL  PURPOSES 


THE  d  H  SELF-FEEDING  RAIL  D8ILL 


Furnished  with 

OVER  OR 

UNDER-RAIL 

CLAMPS 


Will  Drill  a  ^-inch  Hole  in  Less 
than  One  Minute 


Q  &  C  COMPANY 


CHICAGO 
NEW  YORK 


STKBL   BRIDGES 


UNSAKK 

IF  MADE  OF  LIGHT  INFERIOR  STOCK. 

BOND  STEEL  POSTS 


R.  R.  Signals,  Fences,  &c., 

are  made  on  the 

SAFE  BRIDGE 
PRINCIPLE. 

HEAVY  PLATES 

BEST  QUALITY  STEEL 

SCIENTIFICALLY  PLANNED 

HONESTLY  MADE 


They  are  covered  inside  and  out  with  a  coating  which  is  not  affected 
by  air  or  water,  acids  or  alkali.  Used  by  United  States  Government, 
and  many  first-class  railroads.  Write  for  Circulars. 

BOND  STEEL  POST  CO. 

ADRIAN,  MICH. 


THE  EYELESS  TOOL  CO. 

26  CORTLANDT  ST. 

HEW  YOHK,  U.  S.  A. 

MANUFACTURERS    OF 

Eyeless  Steel  Picks 

Standard  Railroad  Track  Tccls 

Machinists',  Blacksmiths' 

and  Mining  Tccls 

OUR  PRODUCT  IS 

GUARANTEED  TO  BE  UNSURPASSED 

in  material,  workmanship  and  general  finish,   and  is 

STANDARD 

on  many  of  the  largest 

RAILROAD  SYSTEMS 

in  the  United  States. 

TOOLS  OF  SPECIAL  DESIGN 

made  to  Railroad  Companies'  drawings. 


CONTINUOUS  RAII,  JOINT  COMPANY 
OF  AMERICA 

SOLE    MANUFACTURERS 

912  PRUDENTIAL  BUILDING,      NEWARK,  N.  J. 


Patented  in  United  States  and  Europe 

Rail  Joints,  Step  Joints  and  Insulating  Joints 

ALL  OF  THE  CONTINUOUS  PATENT  TYPE 


Rapidly  Taking  the  Place  of  Angle  Bars 

In  Successful  Use  on  78  Railroads 


Connecting   85-Pound  and   70-Pound    Rail  with  the  Continuous  Step  Joint 


ROBERT    GRAY,  Jr.,  President  L.  F.  BRAINE,  General  Manager 

F.  C.  RUNYON,  Secretary  F.  T.  FEAREY,  Treasurer 


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THE  I.  L  ELLWOOD  MFG.  CO. 

DE  KALB,  ILLINOIS 

MANUFACTURERS  AND  CONTRACTORS  OF 

Steel  Wire  Railroad  Fences 


58  INCH. 


'•«'•  A  A//\    A\  A/ 


ELLWOOD  WOVEN  RAILROAD  FENCE  (Standard  Style) 


GREATEST  DURABILITY 

GREATEST  EFFICIENCY 

GREATEST  ECONOMY 


Estimates  promptly  furnished  and  contracts  taken  in  any  part  of  the  country  for 
RAILROAD  FENCES,  either  Ellwood  Woven  Railroad  fence,  genuine  Glidden  Barb 
Wire,  or  the  two  combined. 

_  Can  furnish  everything  or  such  part  of  the  work  and  material  only  as  may  be 
desired.  Having  several  large  Railway  Fencing  Outfits,  our  facilities  for  doing  this 
work  quickly,  satisfactorily  and  at  the  least  possible  cost  are  unequaled.  All  work  and 
material  fully  guaranteed. 

43  PAGE  CATALOGUE  SENT  ON  APPLICATION. 


McMullen's  Railroad  Fencin 


The  above  cut  represents  our  Steel  Wire  Cable  Fencing 


t(t^ 


The  above  cut  represents  our  Spring  Steel  Wire  Fencing  with  horizontal 
wires  spirally  curved 

We  make  both  of  the  above  kinds  of  fencing  in  all  the  various 
widths,  and  with  narrow  meshes  at  bottom,  as  desired.  We  can 
also  furnish  them  in  especially  heavy  wire  if  desired.  Corres- 
pondence solicited. 

THE  MCMULLEN  WOVEN  WIRE  FENCE  Go.  —   CHICAGO 


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TUDOR  IRON  WORKS 

ST.  LOUIS,  MO. 

MANUFACTURERS  OF 

TRACK  SPIKES,  BOLTS  AND  SPLICES 
BOAT  SPIKES,  BRIDGE  BOLTS  AND  BLANK  NUTS 
BAR  IRON  AND  STEEL 

PRESSED  STEEL  CAR  AND  ENGINE  REPLACER 

THE  BEST  IK  THE  WORLD 

GUARANTEED  TO  CARRY  100  TONS 


SEHD  FOR  CIRCULAR 

ALEXANDER  CAR  REPLACER  MFG.  CO. 

SCRANTON,  PA. 


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THE  CYRUS  ROBERTS 

IMPROVED  HAND  CARS 


EQUIPPED  WITH  improved  Gallows  Frame,  which  can  be  detached  and  removed 
by  simply  loosening  the  Main  Clamping  Bolt  and  disconnecting  Pitman  Turnbuckle. 

THE  DRIVING  MECHANISM  can  be  thrown  in  or  out  of  gear  by  means  of  our 
Patented  Slip  Pinion. 

THE  ENTIRE  GEARING  is  located  beneath  the  Platform,  so  that  in  removing  the 
Gallows  Frame  the  entire  platform  surface  can  be  utilized  for  the  uses  of  a  regular 
Push  Car;  has  proven  especially  serviceable  for  track  patrol  as  an  emergency  Car. 


No.  1   Car. 

IMPROVED  BRAKE,  giving  much  greater  leverage  than  the  ordinary  pattern  of  brake. 
THE  DIAGONAL  TRUSS  RODS  connected  to  each  corner  of  the  car,  by  means  of 

turnbuckle  the  car  body  can  be  kept  squared  properly,  boxes  kept  in  line,  and  all 

twisting  or  "wringing"  tendency  of  car  frames,  as  found  in  all  other  types  of  light 

cars,  is  entirely  overcome. 
THE  STEEL  PEDESTALS  provide  an  unmovable  seat  for  axle  boxes  and  journals, 

reducing  friction. 

ROLLER  BEARINGS  if  desired. 
THE  RESULTS  FROM  ACTUAL  TESTS  show  a  great  saving  in  power  required 

to  propel  our  Car  as  compared  with  the  ordinary  type  of  Walking  Beam  Car. 

ROBERTS,  THROP  &  CO. 
THREE  RIVERS,  MICH. 


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SECTION  HAND  CARS 

LIGHTEST       EASIEST  RUNNING 
MOST  DURABLE 

Pressed  Steel  Wheels,  Machine  Cut  Gears, 
Tapering  Wheel  Fit,  no  Keys  required, 
Largest  variety  of  designs  for  all  purposes 

PUSH   CARS,  TRACKLAYING  CARS, 
VELOCIPEDES,  GASOLINE 

MOTOR  CARS,  CATTLE  GUARDS 

Track  Levels,  Gauges,  Drills 
FAIRBANKS,  MORSE  &  Co. 


JACKS 


AUTOMATIC  LOWERING 
JACK 


For  Track  Work 

Ballasting  Bridge  Gangs 

Car  Repairing,  Oil  Boxes,  &c. 

LARGE  NUMBER  OF  MODIFICATIONS 


TRIP"  JACK 


GASOLINE  PUMPING   ENGINES 
IMPROVED  STEAM    PUMPS 

IMPROVED  WATER  COLUMNS 
TANKS  AND  FIXTURES 

WATER  STATIONS  ERECTED 

FAIRBANKS,  MORSE  &  CO. 

CHICAGO 


Cleveland 
Cincinnati 
Indianapolis 


Louisville 
St.  Louis 
St,  Paul 


Kansas  City 

Omaha 

Denver 


San  Francisco 
Los  Angeles 
Portland,  Ore. 


THE  BARRETT  TRACK  JACK 

Recommended  as  a  Standard  by  the 

ROAD  MASTERS'  ASSOCIATION  OF  AMERICA 


These  Jacks  are  made  with  Malleable 
Iron  Frames,  Steel  Pawls,  Machinery 
Steel  Bearings  and  Pivots,  Forged  Steel 
Rack.  The  wearing  parts  are  remov- 


No.  2,  Automatic 
Lowering 


able  and  readily  renewable  at  slight 
expense.  The  rectangular  base  gives 
great  lifting  strength  and  fits  into  close 
quarters  better  than  other  shaped 
stands.  Adaptable  to  either  high  or 
low  set  loads. 

The  Barrett  Jack  is  the  safest,  best 
and  strongest  known  to  the  railroad 
world  to-day. 

Lifting  capacity,  10  to  15  tons. 

FOR  CATALOGUE 

AND   PRICK  LIST 
APPLY  TO 

No.  I.  Trip 

THE  DUFF  MAHUFACTURIHG  Co. 

Marion  and  Martin  Avenues 


QUICK  DROP  TRACK  JACK 

No.   18  A  Maxon   Pat. 

QUICK  AND  POSITIVE,  SAFE  AND  DURABLE 

IN   CONSTRUCTION 


Load  can  be  raised  or  lowered  one  or  two 
notches  at  a  time  or  dropped  instantly. 

Ratchet  bars  reinforced  a  full  length  by  a  ^ 
inch  iron  bolt,  which  gives  more  rigidity  and 
s  trength.  Impossible  to  throw  the  track  out  of  line. 

Hardened  steel  bushings  and  pins 
used. 

SIZE  OF  BASE  yx  12  INCHES. 

SEUD  FOR  CATALOGUE  AND  DISCOUNTS. 

MANUFACTURED    BY 

BOYER  &  BRADFORD 

o. 


THE  GREATEST  VALUE  EVER  OFFERED 
IN  A  TRACK  JACK 

To  THE  ROADMASTERS  OF  AMERICA 

Gentlemen  .-—Are  you  looking  for  a  good  SAFE  Track 
Jack,  at  a  PRICE  TO  SUIT  THE  TIMES  ?  How  would 
something  of  this  kind  strike  you  for  all  round  work  ? 

Say  a  Jack  24  inches  high,  to  weigh  60  Ibs.  —  light  enough 

for  section  work. 

Capacity  10  tons  —  powerful  enough  for  ordinary  yard  work. 
Raise  of  bar,  15  inches  clear  —  enough  for  ordinary  ballasting 

or  new  work,  one  Jack  taking  the  place  of  tiuo. 
Easy  and  positive  trip—  cannot  be  Stuck  under  any  condi- 

tions. 

With  only  Six  (6)  Pieces  and  Two  (2)  Pins  in  the  whole  Jack. 
Thoroughly  made  of  Malleable  Iron  and  Steel  throughout,  wearing  parts  all  Hardened 
Steel  Interchangeable. 

IT    IS 


THE   "NORTON"  "SURE   DROP,"  No.  5 

THE  NEAREST  PERFECTION  of  any  Jack  made  up  to  date 
WE  MAKE  IT,  YOU  TAKE  IT  and  TRY  IT  j  IF  YOU  LIKE  IT,  BUY  IT  at  $14.25  LIST. 

This  Jack,  after  trial  in  competition  with  all  the  leading  Jacks,  has  been  adopted  as 
•standard  by  the  Canadian  Pacific  Ry.  Co.  on  its  system. 

A.  O.  NORTON,  167  Oliver  St.,  BOSTON,  MASS. 


CO 


Bends,  Straightens  and  Takes  Kinks 
out  of  Rails  already  laid 

PERFECT  for  TAKING  OUT  SURFACE  BENDS 

Immediate    Shipments. 


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S  9     Size  No.  i  for  Tee  Rails  up  to  45  Ibs.  to  yard. 
"     No.  2    "      " 
"     No.  3   "      " 
"     No.  4   "      " 


A  •  W 

45   "    65    " 
65   «    90 
90  "  115 


"     " 
"    " 


Also  No.  4  machine  fitted  to  order  with  steel  dies 
for  bending  street  rails  of  ordinary  or  peculiar  shape. 


RODGER  BALLAST  CARS 


Showing  track  after  unloading  a  train  load  of  gravel.  The  distribut- 
ing car  was  left  off  the  rear  of  this  train  while  unloading  in  order  to  show 
the  ridge  of  ballast  left  between  the  rails  while  unloading.  * 


Showing  condition  in  which  same  track  was  left  after  the  distributing 
car  had  been  run  over  it.  The  distributing  car  is  always  at  rear  of  train 
while  unloading  and  always  leaves  track  cleared  and  flanged  as  shown. 

Por  Illustrated  Catalogue  and  further  information  address 

RODGER  BALLAST  CAR  Co. 


1301    FISHER  BUILDING 

CHICAOO, 


23 


THE  BU  CYRUS  COMPANY 

SO. 


BUILDERS  OF 


DREDGING  AND 
EXCAVATING 
MACHINERY 


EVERY 


No.  i . .  .  .12  tons 


SIZE  DIPPER 

2  yards. 


<    6 65     "    2y?.       " 

1    7 75     "    3 

FOR  FURTHER  INFORMATION  ADDRESS 

THE  BUCYRUS  COMPANY 

SO.  MILWAUKEE,   WIS. 


THE     'NEIL 


HIGHWAY  CROSSING  ALARM 


EIGHT  YEARS  SUCCESSFUL  USE 


on  40  of  the  trunk  line  railroads 
has  proven  the  O'NEIL  HIGH- 
WAY CROSSING  ALARM  to  be 
the  cheapest  and  most  economi- 
cal and  reliable  safeguard  known 
for  the  protection  of  public  high- 
way crossings. 

Their  use  on  all  dangerous  and 
obscure  highway  crossings  would 
save  many  valuable  lives  and 
prove  of  great  economy  to  all  rail- 
roads using  them. 

They  are  always  on  guard  and 

sure  to  sound  the  alarm  on 

approach  of  train. 

WRITE    FXDR    FURTHER    IN- 
FORMATION. 


THE  O'NEIL  CROSSING  ALARM  CO, 

,   OHIO 


21! 


THE 


SWITCH  AND  SIGNAL  COMPANY 


OF  SWIS3YALE,  ALLEGHENY  COUNTY,  PA, 


IJ.   S.  A. 

Designers  and  Manufactur- 
ers of  Interlocking  and  Block 
Signal  Appliances,  Frogs, 
Slips,  Switches,  Switch 
Stands,  etc. 

Sole  Manufacturers  and  Patent 
Owners  of  the  Westinghouse  Elec- 
tro Pneumatic  Interlocking  and 
Block  Signals ;  Automatic  Track 
Circuit  Block  Signals  of  the  Disc, 
Banner  or  Semaphore  patterns ; 
Electric  Locking  ;  The  Union  Block 
and  Lock  System ;  The  Baker- 
Knight  Lock  and  Block  System ; 
Electric  Crossing  Alarm  Bells; 
Special  Appliances  for  the  protec- 
tion of  Draw-Bridges,  Tunnels,  etc. 

In  fact,  everything  in  the  Signal- 
ing or  Interlocking  line. 

Plans  and  Estimates  furnished  on 
application.  All  Materials  and 
Workmanship  guaranteed. 


Elliot  Frog  A  Svritch  Co. 

EAST  ST.   LOUIS,  ILLINOIS 


MANUFACTURERS    OF 


Rigid  and  Spring  Rail  Frogs,  Split  Switches 
of  New  and  Improved  Designs,  Switch  Stands. 
Stub  Switch  Fixtures,  etc. 


StEEL    CLAMP    FROG 


SLIP  SWITCH  CROSSINGS 

Switches  and  Movable  Points  operated  success- 
fully   by    one    HASTY-ELLIOT   Switch 
Stand. 

THREE  THROW  SPLIT  SWITCHES 

operated  by  same  Stand.      It  is  simple  and  with 

few  pieces.     We  make  the  Stand  High 

or  Low  Pattern. 

Make  any  other  special  work  in  Frogs,  Cross- 
ings and  Switches  from  plans  furnished. 

CATALOGUE  AND  ESTIMATES  FURNISHED  ON  APPLICATION 


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SPRING-RAIL  FROG. 

DESIGN  MO.    19 

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nnt 

POAGE'S  AUTOMATIC 
WATER  COLUMN 

FOR  TAKING  WATER  FROM  WATER  WORKS  or  TANKS 


DISTINCTIVE 

IT  CLOSES  ITS  OWN  VALVE  WITHOUT  CONCUSSION 

ONE   MAN   OPERATES  IT 

IT  WILL  NOT  FREEZE   UP 

IT  IS  AUTOMATIC  IN   ITS  MOVEMENTS 

CTOHIItT    IDT.    ZPO-A-O-IE 

SOLE  MANUFACTURER 
CINCINNATI,  OHIO 


POAGE'S  TANK  VALVES 

WITH    UNIVERSAL  JOINT 

CONNECTED  WITH  BOTTOM  OR  SIDE  OF  OPEN  OR 
ENCLOSED  TANKS 


Is    raised    and    lowered    the    same    as  the    common 

tank  valve. 

It  may  be  moved  around  laterally. 
It  has  a  perfect  universal  joint. 
This  construction  obviates  the  necessity  of  bringing 

the  train  exactly  opposite  the  spout. 

CTOIHIItT    IsT.    ZFOJLO-IE! 

SOLE  MANUFACTURER 
CINCINNATI,   OHIO 


IF  YOU  WANT  ABSOLUTE  SAFETY  AND  ECONOMY  COMBINED,  USE  THE 

WARREN  LOCK  WASHERS 

Six  years  in  use  by  the  railroads  alone  is  sufficient  proof  of  their  great 
•merit;  besides  the  numerous  other  consumers  who  have  used  large  quan- 
tities. Workmanship  first  class.  Made  of  fine  steel.  Every  Washer 
warranted.  Tons  in  use. 

For  track,  iron  and  wooden 
bridges,  trestles,  ma- 
chinery, cars, 
locomotives, 
etc. 


WARREN  LOCK 


WITH   BOLT  GRIP. 


WASHER  POP  WOOD. 


SHOWING  GRIPTONGUES 

AND  TEETH  THAT 
ENGAGE: THE  BOLT. 


SHOWING  PROJECTING 
POINTS  THAT  ENTER. 


The  only  general  utility  and  positive  lock  washer  that  can  be  relied 
on.  Savers  25  per  cent,  in  common  washers,  check  nuts  and  extra  length 
of  bolt.  Can  be  used  many  times.  Easy  to  apply  and  remove. 


•MCH  AND  PEEN 

^N         HAMMER 
A*EALLTH£  TOOL*  NEED,, 


PRICES  RIGHT  SAMPLES  FREE  CORRESPONDENCE  SOLICITED 

Refer  to:   New  York  Central,  Boston  &  Maine,  Boston  &  Albany,  Concord  & 
Montreal,  Boston  &  Lowell,  and  many  others 


TO 

WARREN   LOCK  WASHER  CO. 

CHAS.    H.    WARREN,    Mgr. 
Washington  and  Norfolk  Sts.,  Dorchester  District,  BOSTON,  MASS. 


IRON  CITY  TOOL  WORKS,  Ltd. 

PITTSBURGH 

Makers  of  Standard  R.  R.  Track  Tools 


THE 

BEST 

TRACK 

TOOLS 


ffyoo  Want^e 

BEST  TOOLS 


FROM 

CITY 


Made  frofn  Special 
'I  CRUCIBL  £  SPRING  STEZ 
Cannot  be 

fffVfft  KNOW  ft  .TO  rAll,' 
ttl  IOOU  OB    WOOOWORK  * 


THE 

BEST 

N  UX 

LOCK 


THE  STRONGEST  SPRING  LOCK  EVER  MADE 

Far  exceeds  any  device  ever  used  for  holding  nuts 

and  bolts  secure  on  track  joints,  cars,  car 

trucks,  bridges,  engines,  etc. 


NUT  LOCK: 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA  STEEL  GO. 

STEELTON,  PENNA. 

D  A  1 1   C  A" PATTERNS  & SIZES 

t\  f\  I  L  O  for  Steam  &  Elec,  Roads 

BRIDGES  AND  BUILDINGS 

FROGS 

AND 

GROSSINGS 

FOR  ALL  KINDS  OF  TRACKS.  Special  designs  of  extreme  durability  and 
safety.  Several  other  designs  of  less  cost:  also  several  kinds  of  SLIPS 
(combining  Crossing  and  Switches)  and  fixtures  for  same. 

SPLIT  OR  POINT  SWITGHES 

with  the  usual  number  of  connecting  bars  of  various  patterns  now  "standard  " 
on  many  roads.  Some  with  parts  of  SOLID  IRON,  machine  forged,  that  are  else- 
where welded.  Some  with  point  rails  variously  reenforced  ;  also  our  Soeclal 
Switch  (see  sectional  view)  with  point  rails  STIFFENED 
by  special  angle,  requiring  only  one  connecting  bar, 
adjustable  as  shown,  or  plain. 

THREE-THROW  (DOUBLE  THROW)  SPLIT  SWITCHES 

of  various  patterns.     Valuable  for  Three  Way  Turnouts. 

IMPROVED  SWITCH  STANDS 

This  Low  Target  Stand  is  an  es'pecial  favorite  for  use  in 
yard  tracks,  where  the  low  down  weighted  lever,  parallel 
to  track,  easy  to  handle,  holding  switch  secure,  makes  it 
extremely  convenient.  Is  also  widely  used  for  main 
tracks.  Another  favorite  is  the  LONG  SAFETY  STAND, 
which  lets  train  through  trailing,  but  holds  switch  to  the  position,  as  locked, 
for  either  track,  and  detects  any  obstruction  in  switch.  Various  other  patterns 
of  Upright  Stands,  Ground  Levers,  etc. 

GUARD  RAIL  CLAMP 

Secures  the  Guard  Rail  immovably  on  main 
track  rail.  Variable  flangeway,  for  various 
gauges  or  to  compensate  for  wear  of  guard 
rail.  Applied  without  drilling  of  main  track 
rail. 

WROUGHT  IRON  STUB  SWITCH  TIE  BARS,  for  all  sizes  of  Rail, 
RAIL  BRACES  of  Pressed  Steel,    RAIL  BENDERS  with  Racket  Wrench, 


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